Love is Sweetest the 9284th Time
by WingedKuraiOkami
Summary: Zack Martin has dated thousands of girls, literally deeming them as socks - easily lost and easily stolen from other people. But when there's this one amazingly nice, sweet, adorable, hot girl, Maya Elizabeth Bennett (yes, he cared enough to find out her full name), Zack decides he'll ask her out, and when he FINALLY succeeds. . .Rated T for language and MAYBE suggestive themes.
1. Chapter 1

**First story, guys - whoo! I decided to make a Zaya romance fic because I haven't seen too many of those out there. :3**

**All of you should know that I LOVE the pairing Zaya (Zack Martin and Maya Bennett). So cute! And Zoey Deutch (who plays Maya) is an AMAZING person.**

**Anyways, there is something that I wanna clarify. Maya appears in the 3rd season of Suite Life on Deck (pity she didn't come sooner), which is their senior year - AKA 12th grade. One should be 16-turning-17 in 12th grade, but I made Maya 15-turning-16 because I have a hunch that she's smart enough to skip a grade. I dunno.**

******DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own The Suite Life on Deck in any way, shape, or form, and I probably never will.**

**On with the story!**

* * *

Zack was lying spread-eagled on his bed, completely unwilling and unable to wipe the incredibly stupid grin off his face.

_I've got Maya!_

Sure, the notion that Maya was something to _get_ was totally sexist_,_ but he had to admit that it was his first time that a girl had caught his attention and actually _kept_ it.

Maya had captured his attention on the first day that she came. Well, actually the second day – Secretary's Day was an obvious exception. But seriously – a _given _day to miss class – how cool was that?

Still, if it meant seeing Maya for an extra day, he would gladly trade off.

And then came the rejection. Apparently, he had a large, well-known reputation as a player. Really? Him? Zack was a bit offended. A couple hundred girls for a casual two-week fling each – hardly!

So he stole Cody's six-month plan in desperation to win her over and threw a Mulch Festival for Maya.

Oops. Big mistake.

Evidently, New York didn't have much hay, _or_ corn. Maya certainly didn't like bobbing for corn. He rubbed his left foot absentmindedly. That stomp had hurt for a _long_ while.

Zack smirked as he remembered London's shoe submarine incident. It wasn't memorable because he almost _drowned_, no, it was because that within their last minutes of oxygen, Maya had confessed her feelings for him. Now _that _was sweet.

Of course, she blatantly denied it after they were rescued, saying that the "lack of oxygen was affecting her brain". And, of course, Zack didn't believe it for a single second.

Finally, the party. Oh, that was wonderful. Maya was turning sixteen and Sean Kingston was on board – a great opportunity! And Sean Kingston had immediately fallen for London – bonus! The icing on the cake? Maya loved Sean Kingston's songs.

Score!

Zack tricked the guy into paying for a party that he thought was for London, but really was for Maya. Sure, the singer and London (and Moseby – long story) found out eventually, but Maya was happy, and that was all that mattered.

And the best part? He reviewed all the details in his mind, sighing in happiness.

_Look, Maya – I know you're probably mad at me right now._

_I'm not mad._

_You're not?  
No! No guy's ever gone to this much trouble for my birthday before._

_Well, then, you've been hanging out with the wrong guys. Maya, you're a great girl, and you deserve the best._

_Which is exactly what I have _

For a split second at the time, Zack had no idea what she meant, until she leaned in and kissed him.

Sure, it wasn't more than just a _small_ kiss. But god, she was an _amazing _kisser. The way her beautiful eyelashes fluttered slowly shut, her soft lips, her smell of vanilla and honey and roses and who knows what else. . .

He fell asleep, still grinning.

* * *

Maya was leaning against the side rail of the Sky Deck, looking at the stars, a smile lighting up her face that she couldn't wipe off for the entire afternoon. Zack Martin was her boyfriend!

Okay, maybe not _officially_, but at least they were dating now.

She sighed in happiness as memories came flooding back to her, the first one being some weeks ago. At the time, she was just another girl, the new girl, at Seven Seas High, who wanted to attend school and took a job to pay for it.

The first time she came to class, she was understandably nervous, but everyone warmed up to her quickly. Maya got many compliments on the first day.

_Oh, Maya, is it? You're very pretty. . . ~Ms. Tutweiler_

_Hey, you're really smart! ~Cody_

_Dude, you've got a great singing voice! ~Marcus_

_No one's beat me before at Ninja Slayer 2! ~Woody_

_You're just as strong as my Uncle Clem! ~Bailey_

_She's got more fashion sense than anyone on this stupid boat! ~London_

Maya let a small laugh escape her lips as she remembered the last comment, courtesy of London Tipton. A pair of dark blue jeans, new sneakers, and a purple shirt? She hated fashion – a New York tomboy, hello?

That day, there was one empty seat in the classroom, and she wondered who it was, until the next day, during the afternoon, she met Zack.

To make a long story short, that boy was _cute_. Cody was nice and all, but Zack was just _hot._

Maya came up to him and asked him for a couple drinks for the customers, reeling off a very impressive list, to which he replied by casually brushing his blond hair out of his eyes oh-so-gorgeously, flashing her a hundred-watt smile, cracking a small joke, and then started flirting with her.

_Wow._

Zack did ask her out a couple of days later, but she learned of him being a player. If your boyfriend hit on random girls all the time, how would you make sure he wouldn't cheat on you?

So she declined for a while. Then came the shoe submarine. Maya honestly thought that they were going to die, so she confessed that she liked them. It was perfectly understandable, and, of course, Zack was overjoyed.

And sure, when they all ended up surviving, she hurriedly denied it again.

Then came Maya's 16th birthday. She was delighted by the party – Maya was completely amazed that Zack would do such a sweet thing for her.

Zack looked genuinely sorry and hurt when Maya found out that the party was completely messed up. Maya couldn't bear the sad look on his face. She reassured him that she wasn't mad, which seemed to console him a bit, but not entirely.

So she took him by the shoulders and kissed him, ever so gently. Maya laughed slightly when she remembered that he had buttercream frosting (her favorite) over his lips.

His ocean-blue eyes widened for a second, then closed again and he kissed her back, but only for half a second before she pulled away reluctantly.

Maya was a little rueful that she didn't kiss him longer, but she didn't want a full make-out session on the Sky Deck with so many people around. Which was quite a shame. Why?

Because he was such an _amazing _kisser. She swore she just wanted to place her hands on his shoulders, drawing him closer. . .

She sighed wistfully. Wishful thinking.

Maya was so lost in thought that she didn't even hear Mr. Moseby's footsteps behind her. She didn't even notice the excessive throat-clearing that he made to get her attention.

Finally, he tapped her shoulder impatiently and she jumped, startled.

"Maya, it's almost curfew," he said, trying to make himself sound stern, but still failing.

"What? Oh - right," Maya said, still distracted.

Mr. Moseby sighed and turned her to face him. "Maya?"

"Hmm?"

"I said - Maya! Maya! _Maya Elizabeth Bennett_!" Mr. Moseby half-growled.

"Sorry!" Maya quickly apologized. "I was just thinking. . ." she trailed off.

"Well, I can see that," he muttered, taking his mug and taking a small sip of water. "Maya, is there something that you want to tell me?" He took another, larger gulp.

She fiddled with her shirt, then looked up and gave him a hesitant smile. "Zack and I are dating!"

And Maya witnessed a genuine spit-take, courtesy of Mr. Moseby.

Thanks to the fact that she was a hardened New York girl, she was just able to dodge in time, and the spray of water narrowly missed her.

Mr. Moseby was hacking and coughing, taking deep breaths and gulping in huge lungfuls of air. Maya was just going to offer to help when he straightened up, wheezing a bit.

"Well," he said finally. "I am, ah, happy for you too, and I'm quite. . ." he struggled with the words, "glad that you can keep a hooligan like him in check."

"Well, what's not to like about Zack?" she said, a bit defensively. "He's-"

"Don't take it the wrong way, Maya," Mr. Moseby said quickly. "I meant that I have high expectations for you. You're a smart, pretty girl with a lot of potential and I hope that Zack will learn from you a bit."

With that, Maya cracked a small smile. "Thanks, Moseby."

"You're certainly welcome, Maya," Mr. Moseby said, returning the grin. When he saw that the sixteen-year-old girl had no intention of leaving, he shook his head slightly. "Maya, I trust that you know where your own cabin is?"

"Mmhmm?"

"Oh, for Pete's sake. . ." he grumbled, then shook her shoulders, snapping her out of her daze. "Good _night_, Maya," he said deliberately, gesturing toward the cabins.

Maya smiled softly and walked back to her cabin, then, on impulse, skipped back to her cabin in a ridiculously girly fashion.

_Yes, Mr. Moseby. It is a good night._

* * *

**Good, bad, terrible? Waffles? Any reviews are MUCHO APPRECIATO. Thanks!**

**Also, I may mess with the timeline a bit for the sake of the story. If things get TOO out of hand, drop me a PM - I don't bite!**

**See that li'l review button down there? He's lonely.  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to the one person who reviewed :). I checked my chapter, and I've gotten 69 (lol) views and 47 visitors so far! In my opinion, I think that's pretty good, but I've only gotten one review :(. Please, there's nothing quite like getting interesting, useful feedback from you guys, and as always, I greatly appreciate it. :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own The Suite Life on Deck in any way, shape, or form, and I probably never will. Besides, if I did, Zack and Maya would NEVER have broken up. EVER. Or at least, if they did, they would get back together.**

**Le second chappie begins now!**

* * *

Zack flung open the door and walked into the room, flailing his arms and clutching his head. "Oh god oh god oh god!" he said worriedly.

Marcus removed his head from under his pillow. "What's up, man, some of us are trying to rest! What're you so worried about?"

Zack huffed and glared at him. "I don't know where to take Maya on a date!"

"What?" Marcus said impatiently. "Whaddaya mean you don't know? There are lots of options out there. The bowling alley's been revamped – take her there!"

"Nah," Zack said, frowning. "Too clichéd."

"This coming from you," Marcus muttered.

"_What was that?"_

"Nuthin."

Zack sighed and flopped down heavily on his bed. "Sorry, dude. I'm just worried."

"Why?" his roommate prodded. "You've dated hundreds of girls. Literally."

"I know, I know," he said dejectedly. "It's just that Maya's different. What if I mess up? What if she doesn't want to date me anymore? What if I say something wrong? What if I _do_ something wrong? What if-"

"What if you I _kill_ you in your sleep for keeping me up?" Marcus said irritably, then changed his tone. "Look, dude, just chill for a bit. S'gonna be all right."

Zack sat up suddenly. "I've got it! The Neptune Lounge!"

Marcus nearly leapt three feet off the bed. "_The Neptune Lounge! _Dude, you crazy?" As Zack opened his mouth to reply, he hurriedly changed his response. "Actually, don't answer that. My point is, that's too expensive! You don't have that kinda money!"

Zack scowled, then sighed dejectedly. "You're right, buddy. I can't afford that. What do I do?"

"Here's a thought," Marcus suggested, genuinely trying to be helpful. "Why are you so worried? Maya's a sweet girl – she'll understand, even if you do something hopelessly clichéd. You'll be all right."

Zack grinned a bit. "You think so?"

Marcus grinned back. "Yeah, buddy. Go and impress that girl."

* * *

"Oh, Maya," Zack sang out, walking casually out of the Sky Deck. "You have a minute for your hot boyfriend?"

Maya rolled her eyes but allowed a smile nonetheless, handing a Kiwi Krush to another customer and dusted her hands off. She glanced at the clock – two o'clock. "Yeah, my shift's over. Gimme a sec."

Zack waited impatiently as Maya wiped her hands with a clean cloth, dropped it on the smooth counter, and finally joined him. "So what do you want?"

He looked around the Sky Deck and found an empty table with two chairs. "Wanna go sit down over there?" he inquired, motioning toward the free table.

Maya followed his finger. "Yeah, sure." They walked over, and Zack pulled out her chair for her. She blushed slightly. "Oh - thanks, Zack."

"Anytime," he said warmly, making Maya blush even brighter. He sat down himself.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Maya said, leaning in on her elbows. A stray curl of caramel-colored hair fell over her ear, and Zack wanted so badly just to reach over and brush it back behind her ear. . .

Zack shook himself back to reality, now fully aware that Maya was staring at him expectantly. "Right. Um. Uh, Maya, willyougooutwithmetonightify ou'refree?" he stammered.

"Sorry – didn't catch that. What?" Maya said, confused.

Zack took a deep breath and steadied himself, feeling heat burn in his cheeks. "I, ah, wanted to say, will you go out with me tonight if you're free?"

"Sure!" she said, a little taken aback, but not about to question it at all. "I'd love to."

"Oh-oh, right, great," Zack said, not believing his luck at all. "You work until seven, am I right?" he continued, leaning in so they were just a bit closer. "Marcus goes off to practice his music recording at seven o'clock too. You can come to my room first," he said, giving a shy wink that made her heart flip. "Then. . .I'll take you somewhere."

Despite his sweetness, Maya noticed something that caught her attention. "We should hang out in _your _room. . .?"

"Don't worry," Zack reassured her, grinning. "Cody's in there now, cleaning everything up." He frowned as a thought occurred to him. "Look, if the place smells like a mixture of hand sanitizer and Clorox, it's his fault."

Maya laughed sweetly. "It's alright, Zack. So. . ." she said coyly. "See you at five?"

Zack looked chastised. "What, no kiss for your sexy boyfriend?"

"Zack, Zack, Zack," Maya sighed. "You were doing so well. . ."

"So, don't I get a reward?" he said smoothly, although he was just stalling now.

Zack almost fainted when she smiled gently. "You want a kiss?" she said, sauntering over to him.

"I-uh," he managed to get out.

Maya leaned up and gently caressed his cheek, sending sparks of electricity down Zack's spine. Then, she placed a soft kiss right on his lips and smiled at him, walking away.

Zack stood there, openmouthed and stunned. After a minute, his hand slowly came up and touched his lips. Maya's lips were incredibly, indescribably soft.

Hours later, he could still feel them.

* * *

Maya opened to door to her room, still smiling. There was a peculiar sound coming from next door. She was puzzled, but then she realized what it was.

Her classmate Addison was definitely snoring away in the cabin next to hers. Her hyperactive friend had found some of Zack's secret stash of candy in his locker. Mr. Moseby found her swinging from the Neptune Lounge's chandelier. Maya managed a grin at the thought.

However, she was worried because she had nothing to wear for her first date with Zack. Maya didn't own many dresses, three or four at the most, and she felt like Zack wouldn't plan something too fancy.

She paced the room, wondering what to wear. Finally, she shook her head and walked out of her cabin, deciding to ask his brother Cody. After all, who would understand Zack more?

* * *

Maya made her way to Cody's room door and knocked gently. After a moment, the blond teenager opened the door, breaking into a wide smile as he saw his friend. "Hey, Maya!"

"Hey, Cody," Maya greeted him. "Is it all right if I come in?"

"Sure," Cody agreed. "Woody's out eating dinner, so feel free."

Maya frowned. "Dinner? It's 2:30."

"Oh – it's his first dinner," Cody explained. "He has two every day."

"Riiight," Maya laughed, rolling her eyes. "Can't say I'm surprised."

Cody grinned, closing the door behind her and sitting down on his bed. "So what did you come here for?"

"Talk about being blunt," Maya teased, and both of them laughed. "But you're right; I did come here for something." She took a deep breath and broke the news. "Zack, ah, kinda asked me out. . ."

Cody raised his eyebrow, but didn't look too surprised, standing up and putting one hand on her shoulder. "You can do so much better, Maya."

"Aw, shut up," Maya laughed, but quickly turned serious. "You don't look surprised."

"I'm not," he said truthfully. "Look, Maya, you've been the subject of Zack's conversation for weeks on end."

"What?" Maya said, shocked. "Really?"

"No kidding," replied Cody. "You're all that he can talk about."

"Well," she said uncomfortably. "Thanks?"

An awkward silence followed, but then Maya spoke. "I was going to ask you what kind of a date Zack would plan, and what I should wear for it."

"Zack?" Cody said. "You can wear anything. It'll be okay with him."

"Yeah, I know," she said. "But I just want to wear something, you know, special. . ."

"Well," Cody said importantly, dusting of his hands. "Knowing Zack, he'll either do something sportsy or incredibly clichéd."

"Gee, thanks, Cody," Maya said dryly. "That really narrows it down."

"Just trying to help out here!" he said defensively, holding up his hands in the universal gesture of surrender. Then, he cleared his throat formally and stood up, brushing off his shirt. Maya instantly recognized the sign of a huge speech about to follow. She braced herself.

"If I was the subject of inspection in this particular situation, I would probably go for a casual item of clothing such as a short-sleeved shirt, but that could easily be replaced for a more choice selection, for example, a polo shirt. As for the lower half of the human body, I would suggest a light, carefree style, per say, a comfortable pair of athletic shorts. Another proposition would be a medium-length skirt for the feminine person, reaching below the knees if you wish for a more formal length, or just above for a more flirty, or, in modern language, 'girly' type-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down, Cody," Maya said urgently, unable to bear the sudden flow of words. "My ears aren't that desperate."

Cody stopped and grinned, sheepishly scratching the back of his head. "Sorry."

"So, to make a long story short, short sleeves and a skirt," Maya said, laughing.

Cody shrugged. "That's my best opinion."

"I trust your opinion," she answered. She checked her watch and her amber eyes widened. It was already 3:15. "Thanks for everything, Codester."

He broke into a smile when Maya used Zack's nickname for him. "Anytime, Maya-kitten."

"Maya-what?!" the brunette said, not sure if she heard correctly.

Cody couldn't stop laughing at her bewildered expression. "Maya-kitten," he said between gasps. "It's Zack's pet name for you."

Maya gave him a smile so scary that he almost stopped laughing. "Well, anyway, I owe you a bunch. Thanks again."

As she gently closed the door behind her, Cody heard a sudden shriek of "MAYA-KITTEN! WHAT WAS HE THINKING, THE LITTLE . . ." Her voice trailed off.

Cody shrugged, picking up his huge textbook of quantum physics and starting on page 937, right where he had left off.

_Zack deserves it._

* * *

**Look! Zaya fluff! Yay for fluffiness!  
Ha.**

*holds up hands in surrender* Yeah, yeah, Cody would probably never ramble on and on THAT much, but it's always fun to exaggerate with such a geeky character. Don't get me wrong, I love Cody XD. Really, his speech was hilarious to make.

Let's start the reviews rolling, shall we?


	3. Chapter 3

**Yelloo, it's WingedKuraiOkami again, here with another chapter! Yaaay!**

***dodges all of the bricks and bullets***

**Okay, I've gotten lots of views, but 2 REviews in total - the other one was one of my replies. I'd like to thank those 2 reviewers, and I hope you continue reading :3**

**As for all of you other viewers-but-not-reviewers out there, I encourage you to just type out your thoughts on this story, even if they are criticism. C'mon guys, USE ME AS YOUR PUNCHING BAG! . . .actually, a ****_virtual_**** punching bag. But you get the point. I hope.**

**********Disclaimer: I do NOT own The Suite Life on Deck in any way, shape, or form, and I probably never will.**

**Here's the third chapter!**

* * *

Zack burst into Bailey's room. "_What should I wear for our date tonight?_""

"Thanks for knocking," she said irritably, then realized something. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, _our _date? Zack. I'm _Bailey_. Bailey _Pickett_? I'm not dating _you_."

He gritted his teeth. "I meant _Maya_."

Bailey's jaw dropped open. "What the flying feathers – Maya's dating _you?!_"

"Gee, what a considerate friend," he said, voice dripping sarcasm.

Her jaw closed. "Sorry," she said apologetically. "But you know, it's kinda hard to believe. . ."

"And why is that?"

Bailey decided to drop the matter. "Whatever. So, what were you saying again?"

Zack took a deep breath and restated his previous phrase. "I'm taking Maya out tonight and I don't know what to wear."

She thought about that for a minute, then spoke. "Well, it depends on where you're taking her."

"You'll think it's incredibly clichéd," Zack said, grinning. "Picnic under the stars."

Bailey raised her eyebrows. "Wow. That _is _clichéd. But for a picnic, you can wear whatever you want, so long as it's comfortable."

"Yeah, but do you have any suggestions?"

Bailey dusted her hands off experimentally, and Zack recognized the warning signs of a huge speech about to follow. "Wait, Bailey, I meant-"

"A picnic symbolizes casual simplicity, which is why I ever so kindly suggested a nice outfit that isn't too formal, yet clean and pleasing to the eye. There are a variety of different colors to select. Red is a representation of the embers of growing love, which could be too early for this stage of romance, while green is a symbol of budding passion, as most beautiful plants are some sort of a green hue. Yellow is cheerful and carefree, yet too bright to wear at dusk, in my opinion. Black is essentially the polar opposite, pairing wonderfully with any other color; however, it is too somber for a date. Despite-"

"So basically," Zack said, cutting her off, "I should wear blue."

Bailey looked puzzled. "How did you guess?"

"Well, you reeled off a list of every single color but blue."

"I didn't mention orange, purple, _or _pink," Bailey said defensively.

Zack glared at her. "_What kind of guy with any sort of dignity whatsoever wears pink on a date_?"

". . .I stand corrected."

"Yeah," he snorted. "Thought so."

"Just wear something clean and casual," Bailey suggested. "Emphasis on the word _clean_."

Zack shrugged. "I do have a dark blue polo shirt. Would that do?"

"Sure," she said, then looked at the clock in her room and frowned. "It's already 3:30, Zack. Wasn't your shift at the Juice Bar supposed to start at 3:15. . .?"

Zack leapt up, let out a string of cuss words, and dashed out the door, only pausing to throw a "Thanks, Bails!"

Bailey mentally rolled her eyes. _Maya could do so much better._

But then she shook her head and grinned. _Zack's a sweet guy on the inside._

Suddenly, from outside, she heard a very Moseby-like scream of "YOU SHOULD'VE BEEN HERE FIFTEEN MINUTES AGO!"

_When he's not getting on someone's nerves._

* * *

On the Sky Deck, Zack was leaning against the counter casually as Moseby ranted on and on about responsibility and how he was never going to get a girlfriend. . .

Wait. Girlfriend?

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Zack said, cutting the ship's manager off just as he was on the verge of saying very frank. "_I'm _never going to get a girlfriend? Didn't you forget that I have the most beautiful, sweet, smart, intelligent-"

"We get it," Mr. Moseby interrupted. "However wonderful Maya is, you _still _need to be here on time. Got it?"

"Uh-huh," Zack said absentmindedly as he peeled some bananas.

Mr. Moseby gave an exasperated sigh and turned away. "Just do your work, you hooligan."

Zack grinned, glad that he had gotten off so easy. "Here is your smoothie, sir," he said, using an exceptionally polite tone.

For a while, Zack worked furiously, serving smoothies to demanding passengers at light speed, hoping that time would pass quickly, but to no avail.

After ten minutes of not having a customer, Zack decided to clean up the counter just to pass time. Mechanically, he wiped some smoothie cups, lost in his own thoughts about Maya. Her beautiful golden eyes looking at him lovingly, her long, wavy caramel hair cascading down her perfect fair skin, her soft, tender smile. . .

He didn't realize that he had been wiping the counter (the same spot) for over a minute. Zack looked up and saw a weirded-out customer staring at him quizzically, then walking away. He shrugged, stacking up some cups.

Zack's eyes shifted to the corner of the Juice Bar. Some girls were chatting at the tables at the end, but for some reason, he didn't feel like talking to them at all. He hung up the _Closed _sign on the counter.

He opened the cash register, counting his money. Zack's hopes grew as he laid the ever-growing stack of bills on the counter. He lost count at around thirty dollars, but he didn't care. There was definitely enough to provide for a nice date, and some money saved over.

The teenager grinned. Definitely enough to buy some cool new video game – maybe _Galaxy of Death 2_. He had wanted that since Christmas, but his mother had refused.

He hesitated. _But what about Maya? _a small voice whispered in his head. _It's your duty to give her something nice on her first date_.

Zack mentally cursed his stupid brain, then realized that it was right. As long as Maya was happy, the video game could wait.

_Now, what would a girl like Maya like. . .?_

* * *

Zack exhaled heavily through gritted teeth as he exited another shop. There simply wasn't anything that Maya would want.. A pair of high heels? Too flashy. A notebook? Too nerdy. A makeup kit? _Definitely not._

He considered making something himself, but found that he couldn't draw anything but stick figures. And even he wasn't too thrilled with how _those_ came out.

_Calm down, Zacky, _he mentally chastised himself. _Think about it. Maya's a unique girl, but she's still a girl._

After a couple of minutes, Zack gave up, entering the last store. There probably wouldn't be anything good in it, but he just wanted to make sure.

As he browsed through unimpressive racks of clothing and jewelry, Zack's spirits fell even more. He sighed dejectedly and turned around to leave.

_Waitamomentwut. _

Zack whirled around when something sparkling had caught his eye. He moved closer to the object.

It was a simple necklace, with a small blue sapphire as a pendant and three dolphins surrounding it in a heart. The necklace had a simple silver chain with a nice clasp at the back.

Zack caught his breath. It was perfect. Almost in a trance, he picked up the beautiful necklace, but then gulped. The one thing that Zack was most afraid of – the price tag.

He swallowed hard, squeezing his eyes shut as he turned the necklace around and fingered the price tag, slowly opening his eyes a slit. . .

And nearly fainted from relief. He had just enough.

Now would be a good time to explain to the cashier why he was paying in cash. . .

* * *

Maya took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She was standing in front of Zack Martin's cabin door, but couldn't bring herself to knock. _Get a hold of yourself!_ she scolded. _It's Zack you're talking about. Zack the douchebag. You can do this. Go on. Open the door. Open it. Open the door. . ._

She nervously smoothed out her hair, running her hand anxiously through it. In preparation for her first date, Maya had gone to get her hair done. Sure, it wasn't much, but it was the girliest thing she had ever done.

Maya hoped that it would be enough. Her hair had been thoroughly soaped over and over again until it shone. Then, the spa managers gave her hair a "100% natural treatment", and placed her under a steam hood for fifteen minutes to let it completely sink in.

Afterwards came a hot oil treatment and a split-end trimming session. Finally, her silky, wavy hair was brushed with subtle butterscotch-colored highlights - apparently, the streaks matched her hair color and complemented her eyes nicely.

As she reflected on this, she didn't realize that her hand had already come up and gently knocked on the door.

Zack's cabin door opened, and a boy stepped out.

Maya caught her breath.

* * *

**MWAHAHA! IT'S A CLIFFIE! XD Okay, so yeah. Whaddaya think of it? (Yes, I overdid Bailey's speech too. XD. They're SO much fun to write.)**

**Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Yaaaay reviews! Thanks to all those who reviewed - even if you aren't an official Fanfiction member yet :) Keep 'em rolling, guys, I SINCERELY appreciate it.**

**Disclaimer: ********I do NOT own The Suite Life on Deck in any way, shape, or form, and I probably never will.**  


* * *

Zack heard a knock at this door and sucked in a quick breath. He checked the clock – five pm sharp. He grabbed the sleek box containing the necklace, tucked it carefully in his pocket, and opened the door.

His breath hitched audibly.

Maya looked gorgeous. She was wearing a plain dark blue t-shirt and a long ivory skirt that went nearly to her ankles. Although she had no makeup on whatsoever (unlike countless other girls who had smothered themselves with mascara and lipstick), she was completely beautiful.

But what was most amazing was her hair. It shone like silk, had subtle, lighter streaks in it, and a small strand was clipped back with a tiny blue flower pin. He didn't know _what_ she had done to it, but it was _sexy_.

The first thing that came out of his mouth was, "What have you _done_ to your hair?"

He mentally slapped himself, but the words were already out. Maya looked stunned for a sec, then regained the ability to talk. "You. . .don't like it?"

Zack couldn't bear the hurt look on her face. "Nonononono!" he said in one breath. "I absolutely love it! It's just. . .I was surprised and all, you know, since it makes you look even more beautiful than you were before! Wait! I didn't mean that you _didn't_look beautiful before, it's just that. . ." he trailed off. "I'll just shut up now."

Maya laughed, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You were rambling."

"Oh," Zack said, a bit sheepishly. "I guess I was."

She waved it aside. "It's okay. You look nice too, Zack."

He grinned. Zack had specially combed his hair and showered (twice!) before meeting Maya, even daring to put on some slight cologne.

"Come on in," he offered, opening the door for her.

"Thanks," she replied walking in. The room smelled refreshing, with a subtle aroma of lavender. Both beds were cleaned nicely, and Zack's suitcase was tucked away neatly into a corner.

"Wow, Zack," she said, impressed. "You really cleaned up in here."

Zack let out a sigh of relief. "Good. I paid Cody half of my allowance to do it."

"What, too lazy to do it yourself?" she teased.

"Maybe," he said self-consciously, inviting her to sit down on the bed.

As Maya sat down, Zack's heart leapt into his throat as he realized that he didn't have anything to say. Usually, he was a smooth conversationalist, but this time. . .

Maya seemed to be thinking the same thing, but she didn't say a word either.

Zack had to say something. "I love your watch," he blurted out. "Where'd you get it?"

"This?" Maya looked at her left wrist, where there was a simple black watch. "I don't know – it was a gift from Ms. Tutweiler."

"_Tutweiler?_" Zack repeated incredulously. "_She _gave you that watch?"

"Yeah, on the first day of school," Maya replied. "She's a really nice teacher, you know."

"Riiight. . .not seeing it yet," Zack said, laughing slightly.

She turned her wrist over involuntarily, revealing that the black strap was decorated with silver and blue flames. Zack's eyes went wide – it was a seriously cool watch.

"Oh – and watch this," she said excitedly. Maya pressed a button on the side and the watch changed from analog to digital. The fire decorations started flickering and glowing.

"_Wow_," Zack whistled. "Cool."

"Yeah."

An awkward silence followed – typical of a first date. "Your hair," Zack found himself saying. "It's so pretty."

Maya bit her lip shyly, a habit of hers that was so completely adorable that Zack nearly fainted. "Oh – thanks," she said, blushing slightly. "You like it?"

Zack walked over and took his hand in hers. "I love it," he told her sincerely. He helped her up. "Should we go now?"

"Alright," Maya said, walking out the door with him.

Their hands were still lovingly entwined together.

Zack led his girlfriend – sorry, _Maya_ – out to the Sky Deck, then stopped. "Close your eyes," he said gently.

Maya's lashes obediently fluttered closed. Zack looked at the picnic-type setup, making sure that no one else was on deck, and added a few last touches. He grinned. "You can open them now."

Her eyes slowly opened and widened in amazement. There was a traditional picnic blanket spread on the deck, with a small stack of food next to it. Soft music issued from speakers tactfully hidden behind the Easy Squeezy. Although it was terribly simple, she loved it.

"Oh. . ." Maya whispered breathlessly. "You did this all for me?"

"Of course," Zack said warmly. "Only for you."

"Just like my sixteenth birthday party," Maya said, grinning cheekily at the thought of that particular memory.

"Yep," Zack said, grinning back. He mimicked himself. "All for you, just you, no one else but you!"

They both laughed slightly. "Sit down?" Zack offered.

"Thanks," Maya replied, taking a seat on the comfortable picnic blanket. Zack sat down casually beside her, and started to unpack the food. As he opened a lid, a delicious smell filled the air.

Maya sighed contentedly. Steaming fettuccine alfredo with shrimp – delicious! She took a fork and looked at Zack, who was sitting cross-legged with his own bowl of pasta. "You can eat now," he joked.

"I was waiting for that," she joked back. They chewed happily and continued their easy banter. As Maya and Zack finished their last bites of pasta, Zack graciously took her bowl and fork and set it aside.

"Wow," Maya said, impressed. "You're getting good at this dating stuff."

"Anything for you," Zack said, flashing her a smile. She returned his smile and lay down on the blanket. This was when Zack decided to make his move.

He took Maya gently by the hand. As Maya looked at him quizzically, Zack laid her head gently on his lap. She stiffened for a moment, but then relaxed. Zack's lap was. . .oddly nice.

Zack smiled, the date going according to plan. As he grew bolder, his fingers reached up and started playing with Maya's hair, braiding it and letting it go. Maya was still wondering why he was doing this, but the thought was slowly slipping away as Zack played with her hair.

"You know something?" he murmured in her ear.

"Hmm?" Maya said, half-dozing off as she laid on his lap.

"I want to freeze this moment," Zack said. "It's just so perfect. . .just you and me, alone. . ."

Usually, Maya would have swatted him in the stomach for saying something so undeniably cheesy and loving. But since she was so relaxed and beyond worrying and so. . ._happy_, she just let the word slip out. "Okay."

"You'll allow it?" Maya could hear the smile in his voice.

She closed her eyes and smiled. "I'll allow it."

Zack saw her eyes close and after a while, her breathing became nearly silent, but steady, and knew she had dozed off. Maya's face was like an angel's – perfect, peaceful, tranquil.

He wanted _so badly_ to kiss her while she was sleeping. It was the perfect opportunity, but he wanted her to be awake when he kissed her.

As time passed, Zack gently turned Maya's wrist over and looked at the watch – 7:45. Reluctantly, he softly shook Maya. "Maya," he sang softly.

"Hmm?" Maya said sleepily, eyes half-opening. She rubbed her eyes. "What is it?"

"I woke you up to see the sunset," he said softly, absentmindedly stroking her silky hair. "Didn't think that you wanted to miss it."

"Oh," Maya said, surprised. "Thanks." She sat up, stretching slightly. The sky was alight in flames with red, pink, orange, and yellow tongues of flickering fire. As the sun melted into the horizon, the night dissolved the great ball of fire and the sky became a dark midnight blue. Stars began to twinkle above them.

"It's beautiful," Maya said in an awed whisper.

"It is pretty," Zack agreed, and Maya smiled in response.

"But I wouldn't use the word beautiful," Zack continued. "Not with you here in comparison."

"Aww, Zack," Maya said, blushing slightly. "Stop it!"

"You know you like it," he said coyly, earning a playful smack from Maya. "Ow!"

"That didn't hurt and you know it," she teased.

Zack held his arm, doubled over in pain, eyes glassy. "No. . .ow, ow, ow, Maya. . .it hurts really, really bad. . ." His eyes rolled back in his head and he looked like he was going to slip into unconsciousness.

Maya's eyes widened. "Zack – I'm sorry!" she cried out. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he said, laughing. "Why were you so freaked out?"

Maya had to restrain from slapping him again. "You idiot! You scared me!"

"Sorry," he said quietly, then added, "It's not the fact that I was hurt, was it? You were probably just intimidated by my irresistible charm and effortless good looks."

Maya's features changed into a look of concentration. "No. . .that can't be it. . ."

"Ouch," Zack complained, but with a smile on his face.

"Hey, you set 'em up, I just knock 'em down," Maya said, smirking.

Zack laughed slightly, taking her hand in hers despite their playful bantering. This time, she didn't resist at all.

"Oh – and don't forget your charming modesty," Maya added, rolling her eyes.

"Psh, I know, right?" Zack said, tossing his hair back Bieber-style. His face became sincere. "You know, Maya, I'm really glad you came," he said honestly.

"Yeah," Maya confessed. "I am, too."

They lay there for a while, looking at the stars above them. "It's so peaceful," Maya murmured.

For once, Zack didn't reply with a smartass comment. "It really is," he agreed. He took her hand and smiled blissfully, enjoying the pleasant sensation. As curfew neared, he sighed in remorse. "We should get going now."

"We should," Maya said reluctantly. She allowed Zack to help her up.

"I'll walk you back," Zack said gallantly,They took their time strolling back to her cabin, just enjoying each other's presence. When they arrived, Maya felt a pang of regret that the night was over.

She rested her hand on his arm. "Thanks so much for taking me out tonight, Zack" Maya said happily. "I really enjoyed it."

"Yeah?" Zack said, grinning. "So should I do it again?"

"You'd better," Maya warned him, but smiling nonetheless. Then, a sudden thought struck her. "Yeah. By the way. What were you _thinking _about the nickname?"

Zack instantly knew what she was talking about. _Okay, think quick. Plan A: __**Bluff it. Play dumb**__._ "What nickname?"

"You _know_ what I'm talking about."

_Plan B. Plan B. . .shrug it off._

Zack shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "Oh, that? Just somethin' I made up in my free time - "

"Maya-_kitten_?!"

_PlanCPlanCPlanCquickthinkofa PlanC. . ._

He sensed Maya's anger and his mind instinctively worked overdrive. He heard himself tumbling over his words. "Well, it was just something that I thought up of!"

"_Why is that?!_"

_All right, Plan C: Be honest. Wow. I've almost _never_ gone to Plan C before._ "When you sleep."

The light faded from Maya's eyes, but only a little bit. "When I _what_?"

"When you sleep," Zack said, relieved that he had got the words out. "You're like a kitten. Sometimes you kind of shift around and your eyes kind of scrunch up, and you curl up sometimes. It's absolutely adorable - really, it is," he added, afraid of a slap.

Maya tensed, but seeing as Zack (probably) told her the real truth, she sighed, running a hand through her long hair. "All right. I guess I could live with it."

Zack's eyes lit up like Santa had come early. "You can?"

She dismissed it with a wave of her hand. "Sure. But just barely."

Zack grinned. "Okay, then, my little Maya-kitten."

"_Zack_."

It was about time to change the subject.

"Oh," Zack said, forgetting the small gift that he had in his pocket. "I've got one last surprise for you."

"Uh, it's okay, Zack," Maya said, laughing. "I've had a great night already, really."

"Don't worry," he said, grinning. "You'll like this one." Smoothly, he retrieved the sleek cherry wood box from his box and presented it to her. "This is for you."

"Zack, you shouldn't have!" Maya reprimanded, immediately forgetting the previous incident. Curiosity overtook her and she opened the small box apprehensively. As the necklace sparkled in the moonlight, she gasped. "Oh, my gosh, it's beautiful, Zack. . .oh, thank you," she said breathlessly, a wide smile on her face. "Thank you!"

She fingered the gleaming silver chain and the sparkling, pure-blue sapphire in the middle. Unable to restrain herself, she threw his arms around his neck in a hug.

"Awesome," he said, barely able to believe his good luck. "I'm glad you like it." Maya smiled and nodded, releasing him from the hug.

"Good night, Maya." He looked happy to end the evening there, but Zack (and Maya) knew there was something missing.

They were standing quite close together now, and Maya truly did want to kiss him, but a first-date makeout session wasn't exactly subtle.

However, she still had her conscience to satisfy. _Should I? _Maya debated. _If he wasn't planning to, he'll be impossible to live with. He'd be insufferable! He'd. . ._

Zack's ocean-blue eyes met her amber ones, and Maya felt her breath catch despite herself.

Somehow escaping her notice, Zack slipped his arm around her waist, and, taking a long look at her perfect face, memorizing her features. . .he leaned in.

Each tilting their heads slightly, drawn together by an invisible force. When their lips met, both hearts nearly stopped beating together. Sparks flew. There was no other way to describe it._ The _kiss wasn't a very long one, but it was a sweet, romantic kiss that symbolized latent love for each other.

When they both broke away at the same time, both Maya and Zack's breathing were slightly irregular. She stared deep into his blue eyes, stunned by what had just happened.

"Wow," Zack finally said. "I just. . .wow. Um, Maya. . .you should probably get going."

"Yeah," she said. "Right. I, um. . ." she bit her lower lip again and looked at the floor. "Good night, Zack."

She opened the door and gave him one last shy, uncertain smile, and then closed it gently behind her. Inside, she leaned against the door, allowing herself a wide grin.

Zack touched his lips gently, then exhaled, nearly giddy with excitement.

_Step 2: Take a video of the look on Cody's face when I tell him. . ._

* * *

**FLUFF. ZAYA FLUFF EVERYWHERE. FLUFFINESS GALORE! I hope this satisfies my dear readers out there for a while XD. There will be more to come!**

**R&R, please! It keeps me motivated.**

**PS: You know, I didn't plan to make Maya confront Zack about the "Maya-kitten" thing originally - it was just a little idea thing in the previous chapters. BUT, I added it in for SociallyAwkwardUnicorn (LOVE the name, by the way XD). Hope you like it!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Wow. You guys are all awesome! Thanks for the reviews, and keep it up - I hope that you continue to read this story.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own The Suite Life on Deck in any way, shape, or form, and I probably never will.**

* * *

_Maya left the Neptune Lounge after saying goodbye and walked back to her cabin at around midnight. She had been to a party and was looking forward to a nice long rest. As soon as she opened the door, a scream was torn from her lips._

_Zack was dangling from the wall, hung with a set of ropes and hooks. Blood pooled on the floor and more dark red liquid trickled from his hands and legs where stakes were cruelly driven in.  
Drawn by an invisible force, Maya's hand reached up and touched Zack's neck, knowing she would find a steady pulse that signaled that he was still alive._

_Instead, she found silence._

_Maya she tried to scream, do something, anything. Zack couldn't be dead. Not after all this time. . ._

_Suddenly, she was yanked from the room by an invisible hand and thrown onto the ground. When she looked up, it looked like she was in a small town._

_As Maya's gaze traveled up, she choked in horror. There, on a wooden post, was Zack, with iron manacles chaining his wrists to the stake. While she watched, two hooded black figures appeared from nowhere and blocked her view for a moment._

_When they were gone, the stake was on fire._

_Maya couldn't hold back a shriek of terror. Here was Zack, cruel tongues of flame licking at his legs, making their way up his body, consuming him inch by inch. Although there was no sound, Zack's mouth was open in a soundless scream of sheer torture._

_Wordlessly, she begged someone to come, to relieve Zack of this torturous pain that he must be feeling. Being burned alive. . .there was no worse way to die._

_Maya felt like sobbing, but she too couldn't make any sound. She clumsily made her way over, but by then, the fire had obliterated Zack. . ._

_She was thrown from one place to another, reliving Zack's last moments countless times. How many times had she watched Zack being beheaded. . ._

_Zack getting shot, a hail of bullets tearing him apart. . ._

_Zack, bleeding to death out in the rain. . ._

_Zack, getting clubbed mercilessly, smears of blood on the floor. . ._

Maya woke up in a cold sweat, her mouth open in a soundless wail of sheer agony, the sheets twisted and half on the floor. Not fully awake yet, she stumbled from her room, blindly opening the door, rushing headlong along the hallway.

Anyone who might have seen her at that moment would have thought she was raving mad. Her eyes were the eyes of an animal fleeing from a hunter – wild, terrified, insane with fear.

Maya made a headlong rush at light speed for Zack's door, not even knowing what she was doing. The entrance was unlocked and she burst in. Somewhere, in the corner of her mind, she knew that Marcus was rooming with Woody tonight.

Even in the pitch-black darkness, she somehow found Zack's bed, hoping, praying that Zack was alive, even though there was no way he could've survived all that torture.

Zack was a huddled lump on the bed. Maya shook him hard, hoping that he would wake up, snap out of it, but knowing that he never would. . .

She collapsed from exhaustion and relief as his eyes opened slowly, bleary from being woken up so suddenly. "Maya, that you?" he murmured. "What are you-" He stopped as he realized that Maya was curled up next to him, trembling hard.

Zack was confused, but wrapped his arms around her in a comforting hug, only pausing to move he hair out of her face, which was tear-stained and had terror written all over it. "It's okay, Maya, it's okay. Shh, Maya, it's okay, you're okay, I'm here," he crooned softly, trying to soothe her.

Maya buried her face in his chest, now fully aware about what had happened and what was happening, but she didn't care at this point, still shaking.

Zack stroked her hair comfortingly, murmuring soft words to her, attempting to calm her down. Slowly, gradually, her breathing became steady and regular, her limbs relaxing, still curled up next to him.

Although Zack had no idea what had happened, he knew that it must have been terrible for a hardened New York girl to break down like that. He struggled to stay up and think about what had caused it, but sleep was overtaking him. He snuggled back into the pillow, one arm still wrapped soothingly around Maya, and fell asleep.

* * *

Maya's eyes opened slowly as her brain registered that it was morning. As she sat up, she also realized the fact that she was in Zack's bed, and his arm was wrapped around her.

Her first thought was that Zack had somehow taken her from her room and, being the slight pervert that he was, decided to sleep with her. Then, the memories from the previous traumatizing night came flooding back to her, and she half-groaned in embarrassment.

The small noise caused Zack's eyes to open slowly, taking in the fact that there was Maya on his bed. "Oh, mornin' Maya," he said brightly.

"Hey," she said, attempting a smile. "What's up?" she offered lamely.

"The ceiling," Zack replied, cracking a stupid joke, then took a deep breath. "About what happened last night-"

"Don't," she interrupted softly. "It's okay.  
"Alright," said Zack in a low voice. He decided to switch the subject. "You know what time it is?"  
Maya took a peek at her watch. "Eight in the morning."  
"Ugh," Zack groaned. "That's as close to dawn as I'll ever get." He flopped back down onto the pillow, burying his head in it.

"School starts at nine," reprimanded Maya. "You should at least get ready."  
Zack relented. "Fine. But only for you."  
A faint blush stained Maya's cheeks, but she turned away. "I'm gonna go change."  
"What?" Zack instantly perked up, fully awake and alert.

Maya gave him a death glare. "You think about taking _one little peek_ and I'll see you in the infirmary."

"Y-yes, my mistress," Zack said fearfully, taking a couple quick bows. As Maya disappeared into the bathroom, he decided to take a change of clothes himself.

Maya returned, wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and an artfully tie-dyed t-shirt, which had various shades of blue spiraling out in an explosion from the middle.

With a start, Zack realized that she had donned the beautiful necklace that he had given her yesterday. The blue gem gleamed in the morning sunlight, with the three dolphins throwing of prisms of color in every direction.

As she stepped out into the open, Maya looked up and an expression of utter surprise crossed her face. Why?

Because Zack hadn't put on a shirt yet.

When Zack finally processed this information, he realized that he had about five seconds before that surprise turned to bewilderment, and then anger. He held up his hands in surrender. "Look, Maya, when you were changing I just wanted to change clothes too and I really didn't mean anything so please don't kill me!"

Maya burst into laughter at Zack's terrified expression. "I wasn't going to say anything, stupid," she said, sitting down on the bed.

Zack nodded mutely, rendered speechless for the moment, and quickly slipped on a polo shirt. "Well, thank god that I had my pants on."  
"And _that_ was the first thought that popped into your mind?" Maya scoffed, but a smile was still on her lips.

"Ah. . ." Zack decided to switch to another topic before this conversation got _seriously _awkward. "Let's just get to the Sky Deck so we can have some waffles."  
"Great!" she said happily. "I love waffles." She slipped on a pair of athletic sneakers and opened the door. "Let's go."  
When they arrived, they grabbed some food from the buffet bar to the right and chose a seat next to the side of the ship.  
"It's nice out here," Maya murmured. "The weather is nice and cool, the ocean smells refreshing, and there's a great view of the sea."  
"It is nice," Zack agreed, and went back to tucking into some bacon. He didn't notice that Maya had an exasperated look on her face.

As he finished the last bite, he spotted Cody coming over. "Hey, Codes."  
"Hey, Zack," Cody greeted. "Hello, Maya." He started to walk past them, but then realized something. "_Maya?!_"  
"Ye-es?" Maya said quizzically.

"Ah, excuse me for a sec, Maya," he said hurriedly. "_Zack! Get-your-butt-over-here!"_

"Sorry," Zack quickly apologized, but was then dragged away harshly by the arm.  
"What?" he hissed. "Everything was going smoothly until you and your dorky pants showed up!"  
'They're Italian-made canvas-" Cody began, until Zack smacked him on the arm.

"Spit it out quickly, bro," Zack snapped.

"So, did you do _anything_ with Maya last night?" Cody said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"_No_," Zack denied. "Actually, depends on what you mean by 'anything'."

Cody raised an eyebrow. "You know what I mean by 'anything.'"  
"Cody?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Shut up."  
"Okay. But congrats on getting a girlfriend, Zack. I know that she was special for you."  
Zack could tell that this compliment was genuine, so he let a smile break through on his face. "Thanks, Cody."

"Yeah, sure." Cody walked away to join Bailey on the other side of the deck.

"Sorry about that," Zack said apologetically. "Now, where were we?"  
"_You_," Maya said emphatically, annoyance in her voice, "were eating my bacon."

* * *

. . .**Bet you weren't expecting the angst, huh? I'm in a "torture" mood today XD. And LOL on the bacon part.**

**Also, please check out my other story, "Adventures at Jubilife High".**

**Shirtless Zack wants you to review. :3**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey all,**

**I've been a bit frustrated lately with the amount of reviews I've been getting (this obviously doesn't apply to the readers who've gone out of their way to comment on the story).**

**I put a lot of work into each chapter, so the lack of reviews can be disheartening (considering the high number of readers). It makes it difficult to keep up the writing momentum when I'm not getting feedback. I hope you'll take the time to comment if you're enjoying/following the story. **

**Thanks so much for reading!**

**_DISCLAIMER:_**_** I do NOT own The Suite Life on Deck in any way, shape, or form, and I probably never will.**_

* * *

"Good morning, class," Ms. Tutweiler said cheerfully, watching all her students file into her classroom.

A general mumble of assent answered her, except for two voices that rose above the crowd. "Good morning, Ms. Tutweiler," Cody and Bailey said primly, smoothing their clothes out. She sighed in annoyance.

"Does everyone have his or her introductory essays?" she asked, referring to an assignment she had assigned previously.

Some nods, some shakes of the head.

Inwardly, Ms. Tutweiler groaned. "Whatever. Whoever has them, just pass them up to the front of the line."

It would be safe to say that she nearly leaped three feet in the air when Zachary Martin was the first to come up, a sheet of paper held proudly in his hand.

"Wha-Zack? What-I-you-"

"Yes?" he said smoothly, smiling his characteristic grin.

"Well, Zack," she said, composing herself once more. "Okay. . .who bribed you into doing this?"

"Oh, no one!" he said, grinning. "It was all my own work! Nobody asked me to do it. I mean, why would you think that-"

His words were instantly cut off because of a sound smack from none other than Maya.

"Alright, alright, sheesh," he groaned, rubbing his arm half-heartedly. "It was Maya, okay? She promised me a reward if I did my homework well."

"What was the reward?" Bailey asked suggestively, then burst into high-pitched giggles.

"Aw, shut up, Bailey," Zack snapped. He turned his attention back to Ms. Tutweiler, who was clearly waiting for a response. "Maya ordered a pizza for tonight's dinner - her treat."

"Well, that's nice," Ms, Tutweiler said pleasantly, still a bit taken aback by the fact that Zack had actually done his homework. "Good job, Zack."

Zack nodded and turned back to go to his seat. Maya gave him a high-five on the way back.

As she collected the sheaf of papers, Ms. Tutweiler shuffled the papers to a random order. "When your name is called, please come up and read your introductory essay."

"And please," she continued, glaring pointedly at Woody. "Do not add sound effects!"

Woody slumped down in his seat, deflated. "Dang it!"

* * *

"Bullied," a voice came out of the darkness, echoing off the walls. "Broken. Beaten down, at the hands of another. My heartless tormenter, my very own brother. . ."

Cody's poem was the second-to last one, and everyone was bored to tears, even Ms. Tutweiler. His "introductory poem" was more than five pages long, and Cody had insisted on changing into a somber black costume to "complement the tone".

As he finally finished the last word trailing off dramatically, some students clapped half-heartedly, the applause less than spectacular.

". . .That was lame," London called out.

"Well, you're _supposed_ to take it seriously," Cody said indignantly pulling out a snack, and taking an angry bite.

"It's hard to take you seriously while you're spreading butter on a bagel," Maya spoke up, unable to resist one small comment.

"It's margarine," Cody said huffily, and the whole class laughed, Cody eventually joining in.

"And now, last but not least, Maya Bennett," Ms. Tutweiler said quickly, ushering Cody off to his seat as fast as she could.

The applause was renewed again, as Maya was a well-liked girl. Zack smiled at her as she made her way up and settled into the seat.

Ms. Tutweiler gave her an encouraging smile, which Maya returned, taking a deep breath. She began to read in a sweet, clear voice:

_I am not what you would consider normal._

_I am the girl that spends most of her free time reading, writing, drawing, playing sports, or doing other activities that most teenagers wouldn't call "normal"._

_I am the girl that people call weird and a freak either behind my back or to my face. I am the girl that doesn't spend her time on Facebook._

_I am the girl who never talks to a girlfriend on a cell phone or regular phone._

_I am the girl who doesn't care._

_I am the girl that hasn't ever been asked out._

_I am the girl that has stopped to smell the flowers and jump and splash in the rain.  
I am the girl who is never invited to a party and doesn't give a damn about it._

_I am the girl who's been taking taekwondo since she was three and hasn't stopped._

_I am the girl who doesn't quit._

_I am the girl who has a mortal fear of skinny jeans and makeup._

_I am the girl who can express herself with words and actions._

_I am the girl who enjoys doing the things that no one seems to have the time to do anymore._

_I am the girl who would rather play with boys._

_I am the girl who will trip over nothing, get up, laugh, and trip over again._

_I am the girl who is mysterious, cold, and half-insane._

_I am the girl who can laugh when nothing's funny._

_I am the girl who would rather eat Jello through a straw instead of just going back to take a spoon._

_I am the girl who can forget what she's saying in the middle of a sentence._

_I am the girl who can dance to commercials on TV._

_I am the girl who usually really hates people._

_I am the girl who made a mortal enemy of the entire world._

_I am the girl who took the time to make this list._

_But I am also the girl who knows and is proud to be who she is, and knows the importance of the little things._

The class laughed at some of the lines – funny, sweet, and sarcastic, just like Maya herself. However, when she ended, they started clapping without any hesitation.

When the applause showed no sign of dying down, Maya blushed slightly. "Yo, guys, it's just a paper, you know,"

"But it was _your_ paper," Zack pointed out. "And that's what makes it special."

This comment, of course, made Maya flush an even brighter shade of pink, making Zack grin. It was adorable.

She hurried back to her seat as Ms. Tutweiler started to speak again. "That was beautiful, Maya," she said happily.

"Oh – thanks, Ms. Tutweiler," Maya replied, a little embarrassed.

"Please hand in your papers," Ms. Tutweiler called out to the class.

"Hand? Ugh, no!" London said, only catching one word. "That manicure is _awful_."

"_London_!" Ms. Tutweiler reprimanded indignantly, then looked at her hand self-consciously. "Oh_-_wow. You're right. Well, everyone, just pass your papers up to my desk while I just. . .uh, well. . ." She hurried out of the room as the bell rang.

Maya grinned at Zack. "I'd say that was a well-deserved A+. For both of us."

Zack raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, let's see," she said. "_I_ wrote a great paper. _You_ actually _wrote_ a paper."

"Yeah," he said, laughing. "That deserves an A+, right then and there.'

He offered his hand to her as she slung her black backpack over her shoulder. Maya smiled and took it, walking out of the classroom.

* * *

"We're here, Mr. Moseby," Zack called out as he dropped his backpack onto the floor, along with Maya's. "Is it okay if Maya works with me?"

Mr. Moseby gave a reluctant sigh, and turned to Maya. "If you can keep this hooligan in check, then by all means, stay."

Maya laughed. "Thanks, Mr. Moseby."

"You're very welcome," he replied. "Zack, if you even think about slacking off just because Maya is here, I'll personally see that you get thrown in the brig."

Zack just grinned. "Sure, sure."

The ship's manager shook his head good-naturedly and walked away. Zack turned to Maya and beamed. "Looks like you're working with me, Maya-kitten."

"Yeah. About that name. . ." Maya said, but then reconsidered. Oddly enough, when it came out of Zack's mouth. . .she didn't exactly hate it. "Eh, forget it."

Maya set to work blending up a Cherry Chiller smoothie while Zack started cutting honeydew into cubes.

"Hey Zack, you got any more ice cubes at your station?" Maya yelled over the roar of the blender."We're all out here."

"Coming right up," Zack called back, and tossed a handful of ice cubes at her.

"Thanks!" she said, grinning, as she caught them all single-handedly, poured them into a smoothie cup, added a twisty straw, and handed it to one very satisfied customer who gave them one very satisfying tip.

"We're making loads of money here," Zack noted, then sighed resignedly. "Too bad it's all for Moseby.'

"Speaking of money. . ." Maya remembered. "Where did you get enough to buy that necklace for me?" She fingered the necklace that she was wearing, admiring the beauty of it for the thousandth time.

"Just took the money out of the cash register and ran for it," Zack said, grinning, which earned him a playful smack on the arm.

"Well, I'm glad you'd go through all that trouble just for me," Maya said softly, genuinely touched.

"Don't worry about it," Zack said back_,_ looking into her amber eyes. "It was worth it."

Maya _really_ didn't want customers to see a super-romantic kiss that she desperately wanted to give him, so she settled by walking in, cupping his face gently, and giving him a sweet kiss on the cheek. "Thank you," she murmured softly.

Zack stared off into space for the next minute until Moseby appeared, waving his hand in front of Zack's face. "No slacking on the job!" he said sternly, snapping Zack out of his daze.

"It's okay, Mr. Moseby," Maya spoke up. "We've done a lot of great work today." She opened the cash register and displayed the huge stack of bills and coins, arranged neatly. "See?"

"Yes, yes," Mr. Moseby muttered distractedly, but then looked back at the pile of money. "Wait, _whaat?!_" he yelled, quite unceremoniously.

Maya and Zack grinned, expecting the reaction. "Yep. Cold, hard, cash."

"Holy mother of _ship_!" Mr. Moseby yelped, earning many angry stares from customers with young children.

"Well, you don't have to sound so surprised," Zack said indignantly.

"Ah, forgive me," Mr. Moseby said, managing a shaky smile. "Good work." He walked off with an air of drama, but then suddenly screamed "_So much money!_"

"That man will never change," noted Zack ruefully, earning a laugh from Maya.

* * *

**. . .Holy mother of ship.**

**Geddit? Geddit? /shot**

**Yes, I sorta stole that poem/whatever, so I wanna make it clear that I DO NOT CLAIM IT. Although I ****_did_**** add quite a few lines of my own.**

**Okay, please review! NOTE: I AM NOT updating until I get 8 of 'em. D: Why 8? I dunno.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sup!**

**I'm really happy with all of the reviews I'm getting - thanks so much to all of you! You all get a virtual cookie and a hug. :3**

**The next few chapters (spoilerspoiler) will be a redux of Marriage 101. My lovely reviewer Guest (:D) suggested that I should make Maya show up in that particular season 2 episode. Actually, I was going to do that even before Guest suggested it, but thanks for reminding me, haha. So yeah, like I said, expect quotes from Marriage 101 to show up randomly in the next few chapters.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own The Suite Life on Deck in any way, shape, or form, and I probably never** will.

* * *

"Today, we will be doing a project – "

"I pick Cody!" three simultaneous voices shouted, all grabbing Cody's arm and hanging on to it for dear life.

"Ah, no, _I _get him, because he's _my_ twin brother and I. . .love him," Zack said, bravado fading until he was struggling to get the last words out.

"Um, no, _I_ get Cody, because he and I have been friends for. . ." London suddenly paused and counted on her fingertips. "Whatever amount of years!" She huffed.

"Actually, _I_ get Cody, just because – " Woody frowned as he tried to think of a reason. "Yeah, I got nuthin'."

". . .And the two of you will be married," Ms. Tutweiler finished, inwardly grinning at their inevitable reactions.

"_Ewww_," they all said at the same time, letting go of his arm.

Cody looked miffed. "What, no one wants to marry me?"

"Ah, you get used to it," Ms. Tutweiler assured him with a painful smile.

Immediately after this, Cody and Bailey shot up from their seats. "Will you marry me? Of course I will! You've made me the happiest person in the world!" They enveloped each other in a hug.

The class grimaced, including Ms. Tutweiler. "Wow. Okay. I guess. . .you all may begin choosing your partners."

Woody turned to Addison, a hopeful expression on his face. Ms. Tutweiler smiled and left them alone, turning to look at Cody and Bailey.

Maya crossed the room to Zack. As she opened her mouth to speak, Zack knelt down. "Maya Elizabeth Bennett, will you marry me?"

Maya smiled sweetly. "Of course I'll marry you." She frowned thoughtfully. "For now, at least."

Zack put on a hurt expression. "So you won't marry me in real life?"

Maya laughed and leaned in to give him a swift kiss. "I'll think about it."

Zack dropped his expression and stood up, taking her hand. "Well, then, we'll have to make the most of what we have now."

They both smiled at each other and walked up to Ms. Tutweiler. "We're going to be partners."

"Good," Ms. Tutweiler said, writing their names swiftly on a slip of paper. She turned to address the class. "This week, we will be. . .practicing parenting!"

". . .Hold up," Zack called out, sitting up straighter. "Parenting means that you're married."

"Usually, yes," Ms. Tutweiler said cheerily.

"And parenting means that you have a child," Zack went on.

"Ye-es," Ms. Tutweiler replied slowly, beginning to see where this was going.

"And to _have_ a child, parents have to – "

"_La, la la la la_!" Ms. Tutweiler shrieked. Once she was sure that Zack had stopped talking, she sent a sympathetic glance towards Maya's direction and turned to Zack sternly. "That is _not_ the objective here." She turned away and muttered, "Although, I'm not sure that the entire _project _ is a good idea. I mean, leaving a child in Zack's care?"

"Hey!" came the indignant yelp.

"It's true." Cody apparently felt the need to add his two cents. He turned to address his teacher again. "How will we get graded?"

"Good question, Cody." Ms. Tutweiler took a baby doll out of a box she had on her table and held it up. The class was dumbfounded at how lifelike it was. "These baby simulators, produced by Tipton Industries – "

"That's my daddy!"

Ms. Tutweiler sighed in exasperation. "As I was saying, these simulators will require food, diaper changing, and other requirements. They will be just like a real baby." As she set the doll down on her desk, the head fell off and rolled across the surface of the table.

"Yeah, just like a real baby," Zack said.

Ms. Tutweiler sheepishly screwed on the head again and cleared her throat. "Ah, these dolls are also very delicate, just like a real baby." She glared pointedly at Zack, who assumed an air of innocence. "You will be graded on teamwork and responsibility. The final grade will be determined by the condition of your baby.

The class seemed excited about the project, which was more than enough for Ms. Tutweiler. She held out a jar. "I will pass around a box with slips of paper inside. These will determine the gender of your baby. Afterwards, decide on the name and come up to my desk to get a 'birth certificate'."

"All right!" Woody said, pumping his fist up in the air. "I've always wanted a baby!"

". . .That could have been phrased differently," muttered Maya, earning a general laugh from the class.

Ms. Tutweiler passed the jar to Addison first, who took out a piece of paper. "We got a boy!"

"I just had a baby _boy_!" Woody said excitedly.

"That _also _could have been phrased much better."

"What do you wanna name him?" Addison said, just as enthusiastic as Woody was.

"I've always wanted my firstborn son to be named. . .Bartholomew."

"_What_?!" Addison yelled. "Uh-uh. No. Not in my book. I'm not gonna name my child _Bartholomew_."

"But we could call him Bart as a nickname. . ." Woody whined as he pouted. Suddenly, an idea struck him. "What about. . .Xavier?"

Addison groaned. "Would you be happy with Patrick?"

"Can we call him Pat for short?"

"Sure."

"All right!" Woody said. "Patrick Fink. Yeah!" He rushed up to the front and scribbled messily on a birth certificate. "Here you _go_, Ms. Tutweiler." He held out his hand expectantly. "May I have Patrick?"

Ms. Tutweiler handed him the baby that was on the desk. "Here you go, Woody, Addison. Please take care of. . .Patrick."

Woody pouted. "Why do _we_have to get the one whose head fell off!"

"Don't say that!" Addison shrieked, as the baby began to cry. "Shh, Mommy won't let Daddy insult you!"

"Hurtful!"

"Cody, we've got a boy!" Bailey said excitedly, holding up her paper and waving it around.

"Oh, that's great, sweetie!" Cody gushed, rushing over. "What do you want to name it?"

"I'm not sure," she said, frowning. "I've always liked Christopher. . ."

"Chris Martin," Cody tried. He grinned. "Has a nice ring to it. What do you think?"

"Works for me," Bailey answered, and took a birth certificate.

Finally, Ms. Tutweiler passed the jar to Maya and Zack, who held their breaths in anticipation. Zack motioned to Maya, actually serious for once. "You wanna pick?"

"Sure," Maya breathed softly, as she shut her eyes and drew out a slip, refusing to look at it.

"What did we get?" Zack asked her.

Maya unfolded the paper and her eyes widened. "Twins."

"Twins. . ." Zack echoed, not sure what to make of it. Finally, he decided to crack a joke. "Must run in the family."

Maya gave a weak laugh, and turned to Ms. Tutweiler. "Are our twins boys or girls?"

Ms. Tutweiler held out the jar again. "You pick."

Maya put her hand in the jar, as did Zack, and they both drew out slips of paper at the same time.

"Girl."

"Boy."

"Sweet," Zack said, hi-fiving her. "One of each."

"Congratulations," Ms. Tutweiler said to them, handing them one of each baby.

"Thanks," Maya replied, and Zack echoed her voice. She looked at Zack. "Now, as for names. . ."

"Can we at least _consider_ naming him Zack Jr.?" Zack begged, holding the boy baby.

Maya rolled her eyes. "Lemme think about it. No."

"Fine," he said. "What do you want to name it?"

Maya regarded him. "Actually, I don't know. I do have a bunch of boy cousins, though, and we can use their names."

"As long as we don't choose Cody, I'm all good," Zack deadpanned, earning a small giggle.

"Let's see. . .there's Caleb, Joseph, Aiden. . ."

"Caleb sounds good," Zack interjected.

"All right, we'll go with that," Maya agreed. "What about the girl?"

Zack looked thoughtful. "Well, for one thing, I don't want her to have a super-girly name."

"What would be your idea of super-girly?" Maya questioned.

"Dunno – something like _Brittany_ or _Victoria_."

"Yeah, that's true," Maya said. "So what do you think?"

"I always liked the name Alex, but it's a girl, so. . ."

"Alexandra, then," Maya said confidently. "And we can call her Alex for short."

"Middle names, now," Zack said, frowning. "What's a good middle name for a guy?"

"That's your territory," Maya said, shrugging. "Meanwhile, would you be okay with the middle name Isabelle for Alex?"

"Alexandra Isabelle Martin," he tried. "That works!"

"Alright then," she said. "And I was thinking. . .Ryan as Caleb's middle name?"

"Nah," Zack disagreed. "It doesn't flow well."

"Caleb Ryan Martin. . .eh, you're right," Maya consented. "What do you think?"

"Jonathan," Zack said thoughtfully. "Caleb Jonathan Martin."

Maya smiled as she tried out the name. "That works." She rocked Alex back and forth. "I could get used to this."

"You'd better," Zack warned, and Maya smiled as she figured out the hidden meaning behind his words.

They both looked at the babies, who were sleeping peacefully. Alex had wisps of jet-black hair and Caleb's hair color was a dark blond color. As both Zack and Maya rocked their babies back and forth, Alex opened her blue eyes and smiled before falling back asleep again.

"They're so cute," Maya said softly, cradling Alex.

"Well, duh," Zack said, all of his previous tenderness gone. "I mean, look at their parents."

* * *

**I personally felt that the ending was nice XD.**

**As for the names, PhoenixDragonNightmare sent me a PM requesting these particular names. Anytime you guys have a random idea, you can drop me a PM! BTW, I added the middle names myself XD And NO OFFENSE IS INTENDED to anyone named Brittany or Victoria! o.o**

**. . .Lol to Bartholomew and Xavier. XD**

**Please review! Keep it up! This time, not updating until I get 10 reviews :P I'm a greedy person.**


	8. Chapter 8

**I like dem reviews! :3. Keep 'em coming.**

**That's what she said OHHHH - Okay. I'm done. (Forgive me, we had Sex Ed class today. Needless to say, it was hilarious. Our teacher wanted to "break the ice" by having us all yell "SEX" at the top of our lungs.)**

**I think he has issues.**

**DISCLAIMER:I do NOT own The Suite Life on Deck in any way, shape, or form, and I probably never will.**

* * *

Mr. Moseby sighed in contentment as he finished ironing his last pocket hankie and unplugged the machine. He folded each one expertly and placed them in his front pocket.

"A good day's work!" he said, quite satisfied with himself. The ship's manager decided to go out for a stroll on the Sky Deck and observe the passengers.

He walked out the door and was immediately greeted by the sound of wailing babies. Mr. Moseby frowned as the wailing wasn't stopping and he quickly located the source of the sound. His eyes scanned the deck and rested on a bush of curly hair.

"Woody, what are you – is that a _baby_?!" he yelped as he saw the baby in Addison's arms.

"Yeah, this is Patrick," Woody said, grinning. "Looky here, Pat, you got a godfather!"

Mr. Moseby was at a loss for words. He finally got out, "So _soon_?!"

"Whaddaya mean?" Woody said, confused.

Mr. Moseby decided that it was better not to explain to Woody. Then, a horrifying thought struck him. "Oh, the poor maid who has to wash the sheets this afternoon. . ."

Maya and Zack had come up behind him, also drawn by the loud sound. They also happened to overhear the conversation, which was quickly going the wrong way.

They burst into laughter, Maya holding her stomach and only barely being held upright because of the thought of crushing Alex, and Zack's tears streaming down his face. Mr. Moseby growled at them before he noticed the babies in their arms too. "You _all_had se – "

"No, Mr. Moseby," Maya said, gasping for breath and still letting laughter escape. "This is a project for _school_. Ms. Tutweiler assigned us this project."

The expression on Mr. Moseby's face was absolutely hilarious. He took out a pocket hankie and dabbed at the bead of sweat that had formed on his forhead. "Oh. Well then." Just then, Patrick began to cry again. "Care to explain why your baby is driving all of the passengers off the Sky Deck with that awful racket it's making?"

"I'm sorry," Addison apologized. "But isn't he _cute_?"

Mr. Moseby gave an exasperated sigh. "I remember when London and Maddie had to take care of one of these. . .abominations back at the Tipton. What a long, terrible week." He shook his head, frowning at Woody and Addison''s still-sobbing baby.

The baby wailed and spit up on Addison's shirt, whimpering. Mr. Moseby looked at the baby and grimaced. "Yes, it's positively _adorable_."

"Aww, Moseby, don't be like that," Zack said, grinning. "See, we have good little babies." He presented Caleb and Maya showed Alex, who were quiet.

Just as Mr. Moseby peered at the babies and began to smile, Addison and Woody's baby resumed crying. "That is it!" he exploded. "Get those things off the Sky Deck immediately!"

Maya shrugged apologetically as Woody and Addison left the Sky Deck, a crying Patrick in tow.

A loud wail came from the other side of the Sky Deck and Mr. Moseby's head snapped up, his gaze locking onto London, who had partnered with Marcus and received a loud baby girl. He took a few steps towards the unfortunate student when he heard crying behind him.

A very unflattering word flew out of his mouth as he stomped away.

"Bet you Moseby willingly jumps overboard by the end of the week," Zack said, smirking.

"Oh, totally," Maya laughed.

"Here, give me Alex."

"Why?" Maya asked, holding her protectively.

Zack ignored her and held out his arms for the doll. "Allie, come to Daddy."

Maya didn't hand him over. "Don't you have work soon?" she asked.

"Nah," Zack shrugged. "Moseby let me off today. And I know you have makeup classes today, so tough luck." He smirked. Since Maya had entered Seven Seas High in the middle of the semester, she had to attend extra private classes with Ms. Tutweiler.

"I was going to ask Bailey or Addison to babysit the kids. Or maybe London." Maya said.

"Addison already has her own baby to deal with, and so does Bailey," Zack pointed out. "And under no circumstances should you let London within a twenty-foot radius of these babies. Back at the Tipton? You should have seen _her_baby simulator by the end of the week."

"Why? What happened to it?" Maya asked cautiously.

Zack gave her a serious look. "Fell out a penthouse window. Two whole rolls of duct tape and the thing still fell apart right on the teacher's desk."

Maya's eyes widened. "Point taken." But she still looked reluctant to hand the baby over.

Zack looked smug. "You're afraid, aren't you?"

"Yes," Maya scoffed. "I'm afraid you'll slip on a smoothie and drop the baby overboard."

Zack gently took the baby from her hands. "Have a little faith, would you? Besides, a girl needs her daddy. Don't you, Allie?" He winked at Maya.

Maya sighed and shook her head. ". . .Fine."

Zack looked at her expression and gave in. "How about we attend tutoring session together?"

His girlfriend's head shot up. "Since when have you attended a class _of your own free will_ with Ms. _Tutweiler_?"

"Only for you," he said, grinning, and leaned in to give her a kiss.

Maya smiled, despite herself – Zack's kisses had that effect on her. "You're sure?"

"Of course," Zack replied, smiling back.

Maya let Zack hold Alex, and she herself picked up Caleb. "Let's go, then."  
_

"Maya," Ms. Tutweiler began. "True or False: If F(x) is an anti-derivative of f(x) and c is any constant, then F(x) + c is also an anti-derivative of f(x)."

"True," Maya replied with confidence, and Ms. Tutweiler smiled. "Correct."

"Kill. . .me. . .now," Zack groaned in the seat next to her. "What language is this, Swahili?"

"It's math," Maya said. "Pre-Calculus, to be exact."

"Pre-whazza?" Zack asked confusedly, baby Alex cradled in his arms.

"Pre-Calculus," Ms. Tutweiler explained, seizing this opportunity to actually teach Zack something useful. "This is the branch of mathematics that deals with the finding and properties of derivatives and integrals of functions, by utilizing methods originally based on the summation of infinitesimal differences."

". . .Huh?"

Ms. Tutweiler, sighed, dropping her head into her hands, and continued, in a fake, cheery voice. "Where we draw pretty shapes and lines on graph paper!"

"Ohh," Zack said. "Well, why didn't you just _say _so?"

The helpless teacher groaned. "Why do I even bother?"

"I got this," Maya laughed, and crossed over to Zack. She stared whispering in his ear. "I'll make you a bet."

He was instantly alert. "You're on."

"You have to come to every tutoring session, and you have to learn," Maya began, smirking as Zack opened his mouth to protest. "Hold up; I'm not done. If you manage to learn as much as I do, I'll. . .cook for you. From scratch."

Zack nodded slowly. "Seems fair. And if I don't. . .um. . ." He saw Maya's face as she tried to think of a good wager. "If I don't learn, then. . .you get a back massage. From yours truly."

Maya flushed pink, but obliged. "Deal."

Ms. Tutweiler, oblivious to their conversation, cleared her throat, making Maya jump. "Sorry, Ms. T."

The teacher dismissed the matter. "It's okay." She pressed on, until finally, Ms. Tutweiler took some sheets from the printer and handed them to Maya. "Here are the worksheets."

Maya smiled and said, "Actually, Ms. Tutweiler, Zack wants a copy too."

Zack plastered a fake smile on his face. "Yes – I am quite interested in the mystery that is known as Calculus." He crossed over to Ms. Tutweiler and whispered, "I just want Maya to cook for me, so hand it over."

Bewildered, but deciding not to question him, Ms. Tutweiler hit the "print" button one more time on her computer and watch as warm sheets of paper scrolled out of the printer. "Here you. . uh, go, Zack."

Maya gave him a thumbs-up as they walked out of the classroom together.

"All right," Zack said, rubbing his hands together as they sauntered to the middle deck of the ship where all of the stores were. "So what do we need for Pre-Calculus?"

"Leave it to me," Maya replied as they entered a store that sold stationary and other school supplies. Inside, she quickly purchased a compass, packs of graph paper, a protractor, a ruler, and some mechanical pencils.

"What's all this for?" Zack complained as Maya handed him an armful of bags.

"If you want me to cook for you, suck it up," Maya returned, smiling.

Zack sighed, but gave in. "Fine. But I need some. . .motivation."

Maya rolled her eyes in irritation. "Really, Zack? Really?"

"Hey," he defended himself, shifting Alex. "I attended class _willingly. _I deserve something."

Maya smiled softly and kissed him. "Better?"

"Much," Zack exhaled softly.

* * *

**Wouldn't you have paid to have seen Moseby's expression? XD I LOL'ed while writing this chapter.**

**The same "10 reviews" rule goes here. SIDE NOTE! I posted a poll on my profile page - take 3 seconds of your time and check it out!  
**

**PEACE OUT!**

**~Max**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey! Before you all start screaming at me, I had this shitty case of the flu that went on for a couple of days, so I haven't been updating recently. Sorry, guys! But I'm all better now. *vomits over a bowl* Actually. . .fuck.**

ANYWAYS, this chapter is longer (9 pages on Microsoft Word!) so I hope it makes up for it. And I have a break from school this week, so YAY!

**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own The Suite Life on Deck in any way, shape, or form, and I probably never will.  
DISCLAIMER 2: I do NOT own the Gettysburg Address, or the song Rolling in the Deep. Those belong to Abraham Lincoln and Adele, respectively.**

**. . .You'll find out later.**

* * *

"I need one more Banana Fofana!"

"One Tangerine Tickle, please."

"May I please have three Kiwi Krushes?"

"I'd like a Cherry Chiller with some lemon slices on the side – "

"Hey there, could I have two Peach Perfections with some extra vanilla ice cream?"

Maya groaned, placing her head in her hands as she tried desperately to keep up with the demanding customers, but to no avail. "Great. The one thing that could make this worse is – " As if on cue, Alex and Caleb began to wail in sync.

At that moment, Zack was walking by. "Hey there, Maya-kitten, how's work coming along – He frowned at the sight. "That bad, huh?"

"Thanks for volunteering to help," she yelled above the roar of the crowd and the blender as she made her way to Alex and Caleb, dropping a banana slice in the process. She muttered some very unflattering words.

"Sorry," Zack said sympathetically, making his way through the mob and behind the counter. "You take care of the kids, and I'll take over for a while."

Maya gave him a grateful look. "Would you?"

"Yeah, sure," he said, expertly slicing some tangerines and putting them in a blender.

"Thanks," she said, taking both babies into her arms and rocking them gently back and forth.

Just then, Bailey and Cody appeared. "Hey there, Maya, Zack," Bailey said.

"'Sup, Bailey?" she offered. "How's Chris?"

"A handful," Cody exhaled, running his hand through his unruly hair. "Man, it seems like he poops every half hour."

Maya laughed. "We've got two of 'em, so you can't say much."

Cody grinned in response. "You've got a point." He frowned at the busy mob, which Zack was still trying to placate. "Busy day, huh?"

"You don't say," Maya sighed, the twins calming down. She put them back and washed her hands, promptly picking up a kiwi.

"Sorry I can't help," Cody said sympathetically. "My towel shift's right now."

Maya waved aside the matter. "It's alright."

"I'm helping Cody with his job," Bailey apologized. "But his shift ends ten minutes earlier than yours – I can help you then."

Zack smiled at her but shook his head. "Nah, it's okay, you go and have fun with Codester afterwards." He winked at her. "Not too much fun, okay?"

"_ZACK!_" three voices yelled.

Zack gave his infamous grin. "Just keep it PG."

Maya gave him a smack, though a smile was on her face. "Thanks for stopping by, guys."

Bailey and Cody waved at her, shouting a "Good luck!" before disappearing.

London and Marcus walked by with their baby girl, who was currently wailing at the top of her lungs. "Shh, Rosie, it's okay," Marcus cooed, trying to calm her down.

Zack smiled. "You named her Rosie?"

"Nooooo," London said, drawing out the syllable as if it were completely obvious. "Her _real_ name is Rosalina Marilyn Isabella Sapphire Raven Nightwing Katherine Lauren Madeline Sophia Chloe Elizabeth Ariana Tipton, and we call her Rosie for _short_." She exhaled in a puff of air. "_Duh_."

"Her idea, not mine," Marcus stage-whispered, earning knowing glances from both Zack and Maya. They both waved and walked off, a crying Rosie in tow.

"And yet, she doesn't know how to spell _cat_," Maya muttered, earning a laugh from Zack.

Woody appeared with Addison, holding Pat. "Hey, guys," he greeted them.

"Hi," Maya said, and Zack nodded a greeting. "How's Pat?"

"He's cool," Woody replied. "If his head doesn't pop off, it's been a good day."

Addison laughed. "Yeah, he tends to do that."

Woody grinned, shifting Pat to his other arm. Just then, his head fell off and rolled across the Sky Deck's floor, eliciting a couple of screams from the customers nearby.

"Oops," Woody said sheepishly, picking the head back up and screwing it on in embarrassment. "Anyways, I wanted to give you guys something." He produced a baby carrier that looked like a backpack. "Sorry, I only have one. But since you have twins, I bet that if Zack could carry a baby on his back and you could hold one, life would be easier."

Maya smiled as she accepted his gift. "Thanks, Woody, you're the best."

"Hey!" Zack complained. "I'm your _boyfriend_."

Maya rolled her eyes and kissed him swiftly. "Has your ego been restored, _Your Majesty_?"

"Yes, thank you, my princess," Zack replied cheekily, making her blush.

* * *

Zack strapped the baby carrier on, placing baby Caleb safely in it. "There we go, much better now!"

Woody, who had brought Addison along with him, grinned. "See, I told ya!"

"Yeah, I owe you one, Woody."

"Woody. Addison." Mr. Moseby strode over to them. His eyes landed on the baby strapped to Zack's back. ". . .Sacajawea."

Zack glared at him.

"How many times do I have to say it? These. . .things are not allowed on the Sky Deck!"

"But our babies are really well-behaved!" Woody protested.

"If he starts crying, we'll take himi below decks," Addison promised. As if on cue, Patrick started crying. "...So we'll take him below decks."

"Aw man, kids ruin everything." Woody muttered, getting off his stool and following Addison.

"Welcome to my world." Mr. Moseby agreed.

Then, he eyed Zack warily. "If your babies remain quiet, I'll allow them to stay. But if they make so much as a peep, you'll have to take them elsewhere."

"Thanks, Moseby!" Zack said, grinning. "I'm sure Caleb will appreciate it."

"You're welcome. Did you say his name was Caleb?"

"Well, I wanted to name the baby Marion, after you.. . ." Zack said. "But we had a boy."

Mr. Moseby's benevolent expression darkened. "You're pushing it."

"Sorry."

* * *

"She _is_ kinda cute," London mused, watching Maya rocking Alex back and forth, with Rosie currently sleeping. "Can I hold her?"

"Sure," Maya agreed, handing over her baby.

She reached out her arms for the baby and settled her over her shoulder. "Aww," she said, smiling genuinely. "Allison's adorable!"

"It's _Alex._"

London froze as she felt dampness. "Eww!" she shrieked, tossing Alex onto the bed, thankfully.

"London!" Maya cried. "Don't throw her around!"

"But she's wet!" London wailed. "And I touched it! Ew-ew-ew!" She hopped around comically, flailing her hands about.

"London, she's a doll, it's just water!" Maya said, exasperated. "Just give her back to me."

Gingerly, London placed Alex back into Maya's arms, taking extra care not to let her hand anywhere near the wet spot. "There, happy?"

"Very," Maya said dryly, London not catching the sarcasm.

London sighed, before looking at her hand and noticing the miniscule drops of water on her hand. "Ew-ew-ew, she _peed_ on meeee!"

Maya checked her watch, groaning. "This is going to be the longest week of my life."

* * *

"Wahhh!"

The clock on the nightstand read 1:20 am, and Cody and Woody both moaned, stirring out of a deep sleep. Cody reached over and flicked on the light. "I think it's yours," they both groaned at the same time.

Woody spoke first. "No, it's yours."

Cody opened his mouth to retort, before walking over to the makeshift cribs and finding out that he was right, for once. "Okay, there, Chris, what's the matter?" He checked his diaper, finding it to be dry. He frowned. "Hungry, buddy?"

"No, for once! Just tired!" Woody groaned. "Now shut him up before he wakes Pat."

"I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to - " Cody stopped abruptly as Woody's baby started wailing as well. "Oops."

Woody cursed, dragging himself out of bed and to Patrick.

* * *

"Please, Rosie, just calm _down_," London begged, rocking Rosie back and forth in a vain attempt to quiet her down. Finallly, she grew frustrated, throwing her baby down on the bed. "Mommy needs her beauty rest, dammit!"

Bailey groaned and sat up in bed groggily, her hair a mess. "What's wrong?"

"Rosalina Marilyn Isabella Sapphi – "

"ROSIE!"

"Rosie's being loud and I can't get her to be quiet!" London pouted.

Bailey sighed, and held out her arms. "C'mon, give her to me. I've had some experiences with babies."

London reluctantly handed her over to Bailey. After five minutes with no change, the heiress threw up her hands in frustration. "All right, give her back, farm girl."

Bailey was too tired to retort to the insult, handing the baby back half-heartedly.

London sighed and rocked Rosie, freezing once again when she felt a dampness on her hand. "Ew-ew-ew-ew-EWWW!" she shrieked, only serving to make Rosie cry even louder. Now, Bailey had to deal with a crying London and a wailing Rosie.

"My baby's too noisy!"

"Waaaahh!"

"I hate this stupid sea school!"

"Waaaahh!"

"My roommate smells like wet hay!"

"Waaaahh!"

"SHUT UP!" Bailey shrieked, flinging a pillow at London, burying herself under one, and stuffing her hands in her ears in an effort to block out the noise.

None of them got much sleep that night.

* * *

"There, there, Caleb," Zack cooed, rocking the crying baby back and forth. "Shh, it's alright, Daddy's here." He frowned as a thought came to him. "Do you miss your sister? Sorry about that, Allie's with Maya."

Caleb calmed down for a minute before crying again, rousing Marcus from his sleep.

"I'm coming, Mother. . ." Marcus muttered before his eyes fell on Zack. ". . .That's not my mother."

"Darn right it's not," Zack scoffed.

"Well, you _are _holding a baby," Marcus pointed out. At a glare from Zack, he quickly amended his statement. ". . .Sorry."

Zack rolled his eyes, rocking Caleb back and forth. "You're lucky, Marcus – your baby is with London."

"Yeah, that was a bad idea," he sighed, running his hands through his hair.

"Caaaaleeeb," Zack said, drawing out the vowels in his name. "What's wrong?" He checked the diaper, which was completely dry. He had also just fed the baby. "I think he's just fussy."

"You _THINK_?!" yelled Marcus, earning a fresh round of sobs from Caleb.

"Thanks for that, Marcus," Zack yawned, glaring at him.

Caleb sighed for a moment and took a deep breath.

"Oh, good," Marcus sighed in relief.

Zack's eyes widened. "No, that's not good! When he takes a deep breath it means that he's gonna – "

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

* * *

"Addison," Maya said softly, shaking her roommate. "Could you wake up?"

Her roommate snorted and rolled over. "Hmm? What's up?" Her eyes suddenly flew open. "Oh-my-gosh-little-Alex-is-crying-I-can-calm-her-down-here-give-her-to-me!"

Maya wasn't prepared for the sudden stream of words at one in the morning, but she was grateful for Addison anyways, handing Alex over. "Thanks, Addison. She's been crying for an hour and I can't get her to stop."

"It's okay!" the girl said enthusiastically, swinging Alex back and forth. She started mumbling under her breath.

Maya frowned sleepily. "Addison, what are you – " She stopped. "Are you reciting the Gettysburg Address to my baby?!"

". . .and government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. What, Maya? Oh, yeah, I am," she replied, after finishing the last of her speech. She took a deep breath and started singing. "There's a fire, starting in my heart. . ."

"Rolling in the Deep, Adele," Maya said thoughtfully, as baby Alex continued to wail loudly. "Huh. You learn something new every day."

* * *

**. . .See? I told you.  
ANYWAYS, this week is break (like I said), so expect chapters to come faster!**

As always, read and review!


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys, wazzup? Another chapter here, courtesy of yours truly. There's gonna be fluff in this one? :P**

DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own The Suite Life on Deck in any way, shape, or form, and I probably never will.  
DISCLAIMER 2: I do NOT own the song "To the Sky" by Owl City. I never have, never will. That belongs to Adam Young, an awesomely awesome singer. THIS SONG IS NOT MINE.

* * *

Miss Tutweiller walked into the classroom, ready to burst out with an exciting greeting. However, she frowned as her class was more lifeless than she had ever seen them – and that included the sleep-inducing unit on fairy tales. "Good morning, class. . .Class? How are the projects going?"

For their eloquent response, two blinked sleepily at her in greeting. Four babies started crying. Four tired parents tried to soothe them.

"That well, huh?" Miss Tutweiller said, wincing.

London raised her hand. "Miss Tutweiller!" she said, pouting.

"Yes, London?"

"Our babies keep us up all night, and I hate this school, and I hate my roommate, and I hate your makeup!" she whined childishly, folding her arms.

"Well," Ms. Tutweiller said, trying her best not to be offended. "I'm quite sorry to hear that."

"It's not the baby's fault, though," London said, happiness restored. "Because my baby, Rosalina Marylin – "

"London," Maya said through gritted teeth, trying desperately to hold on to what was left of her sanity, "If you _dare_ to finish her name, all that'll be left of you is a BIG BLOODSTAIN ON THE GROUND!" She then slumped onto her desk, fast asleep.

Although it was harsh, Ms. Tutweiller couldn't honestly say that she would stop Maya.

"Patrick keeps me up all night!" Woody complained.

"Yeah, and Chris just won't stop crying!" Cody agreed.

Ms. Tutweiller noticed that Zack hadn't said anything and glanced briefly in his direction, only to find him – and Maya – both fast asleep. With two babies, they got half the sleep of everyone else, and the strain was really showing on them.

The teacher sighed helplessly. "All righty, then. You guys, obviously, are going to be getting even less work done then usual with your state. Go ahead and get some rest. Class dismissed."

The class, was too sleepy to even respond to the small offensive statement that she had made, and they were too tired to muster any real enthusiasm for this break. The students shuffled out like zombies, holding their babies and backpacks loosely, save for Zack and Maya, who had genuinely fallen asleep.

"Zack? Maya?" Miss Tutweiller called. "Can I speak to you for a minute?"

At the sound of her voice, Alex and Caleb woke up and began wailing, causing the students' heads to bolt up from their desks as if they'd heard gunshots.

Maya looked back and forth, looking for any potential danger, then relaxed as there was none. Zack then seemed to realize that they were the only people left in the classroom and frowned. He picked up Caleb and handed Alex to Maya, walking sleepily to Ms. Tutweiller's desk.

"Sorry 'bout that, Miss T," Maya said apologetically, yawning.

"Yeah, you wanted to see us?"

The teacher looked between the two students sympathetically. "Are you two handling everything okay?"

"Just peachy," Zack sighed, shifting Caleb slightly.

Ms. Tutweiler smiled sadly, noticing his tired state and feeling sorry for him despite his usual lack of academic intelligence in class. "Well, is there anything I can do to help?"

"Lots," Maya said, giving her a tired smile. "But I can't ask you take out the babies' batteries, can I?"

"I'm sorry about that," Ms. Tutweiler laughed. "But I _am_ glad to see that Zack is being a good partner. Aren't you?" She shot him a pointed glare.

Zack mustered a weak laugh. "I'm great."

"He's a big help," Maya agreed without a hint of sarcasm.

"Alright, I trust you," the teacher laughed. "Maya, Zack, go get some rest for right now. You can turn in the Calculus worksheet tomorrow." She smiled at them and exited the classroom.

Maya sighed, running a hand through her caramel hair. "I forgot about the Calculus worksheet packet. . .it was supposed to be due today."

Zack groaned. "Must I work on it with you?"

"If you want my cooking, yes."

Zack smiled at her, kissing her on the cheek swiftly. "Fine."

* * *

"You really want to?" Zack said, rocking Caleb, trying to get him to calm down.

Maya smiled, holding Alex, who was screaming at the top of her lungs. "Why shouldn't we? Addison tried it, and I can't seem to think of anything else right now. They've been crying for an – " Her sentence was broken off by a yawn. "An hour already."

Zack sighed. "But I don't sing – "

"In public," Maya corrected him, cutting him off. "That's what London said."

"You really trust what London says?" Zack complained, already knowing that he had lost the battle.

"I notice that you're not denying it," Maya said, grinning.

"Fine," he said, rolling his eyes. "Only for you. What do you want to sing."

"Something calming," she reflected, sitting down on the bed and yawning.

Zack frowned. "So I guess _Monster_ by _Skillet_ is out of the question."

Maya tried to smack him, but was too tired, and her arm fell limply back onto the bed. "Yeah."

". . ."

Maya smiled as a thought occurred to her, and she began to sing softly. "How about this one?"

_Shipwreck in a sea of faces  
There's a dreamy world up there  
Dear friends in higher places  
Carry me away from here_

_Travel light, let the sun eclipse you_  
_'Cause your flight is about to leave_  
_There's more to this brave adventure_  
_Than you'd ever believe_

Zack grinned, recognizing the lyrics and joining in.

_Bird's eye view,  
Awake the stars 'cause they're all around you  
Wide eyes will always brighten the blue  
Chase your dreams, and remember me, sweet bravery  
Cause after all those wings will take you up so high  
So bid the forest floor goodbye  
As you race the wind and  
Take to the sky_

As soon as they finished the chorus, Zack laughed, dropping the baby onto the bed and doing the same with Maya's, lifting her up and twirling her around.

Maya was shocked for a moment as Zack picked her up and spun her around like a princess. However, she started laughing as well, giddy even after he set her down on the floor. "What was that all about?"

"Nothing," he said, grinning wildly, his blue eyes bright. "You're just so cute."

Maya blushed. "Stop it."

"Especially when you're embarrassed." He laughed at her face.

That did nothing to help her flush. She suddenly paused. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Zack frowned. "I don't hear anything."

"Exactly," she breathed out. "They stopped crying!"

Zack smiled as Maya took Alex and kissed her gently on the forehead. She stared up at him. "What?"

"You are so cute."

"Stop it!" she denied again, as her blush came back.

* * *

"Okay, now that they've stopped crying," Maya said, shuffling two stacks of paper," we've got to work."

Zack tried his best not to complain as his eyes immediately started to swim at all of the letters and numbers in front of him. He frowned. Letters? "Wait, letters don't belong in math!" he denied.

Maya kissed him quickly.

". . .Okay, they do now," Zack exhaled. He peered at the first problem warily. "So. Help me."

"Alright," she said, opening her worksheet up to number 1. "Differentiate 'y = (3x+1)2'."

"Okay then," he said, rubbing his hands together. "It wants me to differentiate, right?" Maya nodded. "So I can _differentiate_ x and y, because they are both _different_ letters of the alphabet!" He sat back in his chair, looking extremely pleased with himself.

Maya sighed. "No, that's not the question. _Differentiate_ means. . ." She started to explain to him.

After a while, he was nodding slowly. "I think I might get it. Can I try again?"

"Wow," she said, yawning sleepily. "You're dedicated."

"Mm," he said vaguely, pencil already at work. He noticed Maya's yawn. "Go ahead and take a nap, Maya-kitten."

"No," she protested vaguely. "I'm awake."

"Shush," he said gently, putting his finger on her lips. "Take a rest." On impulse, he started singing _To the Sky _to her again.

Not even a minute had passed before her eyes slowly fluttered shut and her breathing became even and nearly silent. Zack smiled and picked her up, bridal style, laying her on the bed.

"Hmm?" Maya said as she felt herself being carried. "Heard every word you said," she muttered. ". . .wasn't 'sleep at all. . ."

Zack kissed her. "Shut up and go to sleep."

Maya's eyes widened at the kiss, and she pulled him closer, deepening it. He gladly obliged, but after some moments, reluctantly pulled away. He smoothed back her hair.

"That was a really nice way of telling me to shut up," Maya breathed softly, before she fell back into oblivion.

Zack smiled as he set to work on the problem. ". . .so it's 6(3x+1)!" he said triumphantly. "Okay then. . .now to differentiate y – (1-4x+7x5)30. . ." He frowned thoughtfully.

After a long while, he fell back with a sigh, having completed almost the entire packet. "That was _horrible_," he sighed, making sure to keep his voice down. "Oh, Maya, if only you know what you do to me."

* * *

**So. . .reviews, anyone? The box is riiiight there.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Well, 'ello, FanFiction. So far, regarding the Revolution, there are a grand total of 3 people in it. Including me. o.o Well, it's a start, at least.  
IF you do not know what the Revolution is, and are even the SLIGHTEST bit interested, check out the "AN - please read!" section of this story.**

**Special shout-out to SociallyAwkwardUnicorn and Little Miss Dancer Girl for entering ZEE REVOLUTION!**

**Yeah, yeah, it's a REAL update this time. Reviewers, eat your heart out. :P And, of course, review!**

* * *

Zack opened the door to his cabin, finding a half-asleep Maya on the other side. "Hey there, beautiful."

At the moment, Maya was too tired to protest against Zack's borderline sexual harassment in the form of nicknames. "Mm," she replied, stifling a yawn.

Last night had been her turn to take both of the babies for the night and they'd been particularly cranky, never staying quiet for more than forty minutes at a time. She started to take a step towards her boyfriend, then sighed tiredly, sitting back down.

Zack's expression changed to one of concern. "You alright?"

Maya sighed, rubbing her eyes. "No, not really."

In a flash, Zack was next to her, smoothing her hair back soothingly. "How about I give the babies to Moseby for the afternoon? As a babysitter?"

Maya looked at him suspiciously. "Why?"

"He wants to spend some time with his 'godchildren'," Zack quoted, grinning.

Despite her tiredness, Maya couldn't help but smile softly. "Godchildren, huh?"

Zack grinned. "Yeah. Figured it wouldn't hurt to see what it was like on Moseby's good side for a change."

"Also. . ." Zack paused. "I figured you could use a break. You look beat." He realized his words and quickly amended his statement. "No, I mean, you're exhausted. You look gorgeous, as always." He kissed her soothingly on the forehead.

Maya tried to ignore the heat that flooded to her face at his earnest compliment. "I am pretty tired," she admitted. "Alex and Caleb kept me up half the night."

"So, I thought," Zack said, smiling in anticipation, "For the next couple hours, we could just hang out. Take a little break from the kids. Just you and me, a laptop, and some snacks." He shrugged, raising his eyebrows hopefully. "How's that sound?"

Maya smiled. ". . .It sounds like heaven."

* * *

"So, are you up to doing that Calculus packet?" Maya murmured sleepily, unconsciously leaning against Zack's shoulder. "It's due today and we need to finish quickly. . ."

"Sure," Zack replied, hiding his grin as he pulled out two packets from a drawer.

"Alright," Maya sighed, opening his packet to the first page. Her eyes widened as she saw the pencil marks on it. Quickly, she flipped to each page, her mouth falling open. "Zack?!"

"Hmm, Maya, you give me lots of motivation, that's all I can say," Zack said, laughing at her surprised expression.

"Oh, wow," she said, sighing. "I can't believe it! You did every problem – and they all look correct." She frowned at him. "Who are you and what have you done with Zachary Martin?"

"It's still me, relax," Zack reassured her, grinning. "I did it while you were asleep."

"Huh," she yawned. "Never thought you'd do something like that." She smiled at him.

"Yeah, me neither," he chuckled. "So. Food."

"What?" she said, confused.

"Food," he repeated. "You promised that you'd cook."

"I did, didn't I," Maya said ruefully. "What would you like?" She started to get up.

Zack held her down. "Not tonight, gorgeous. You're too tired."

"Are you sure?" she said, pouting adorably.

"Yeah, of course," he said. "Maybe tomorrow."

"Alright," she said, sitting back down on the bed. "What do you want to do?"

Zack grinned as a thought occurred to him. "Let's go for a swim."

* * *

"Race ya," Maya challenged him, water dripping from her hair. Her eyes shone, all of her previous tiredness gone."

"You're on," Zack accepted. He leaned against the wall. "Set. . .go!"

They both shot off, straining to reach the other side. Finally, Maya's head broke above the water and she panted, looking around wildly for Zack. She found him grinning, equally out of breath, right next to her.

"It was a tie," he gasped, shaking the water from his hair.

"Fine," she said, consenting, while laughing. Maya kicked off from the bottom and started to float on her back, staring into the sky. "Hmm. . .so peaceful, there's no one here."

"Yeah," he agreed, joining her and clasping her hand in hers. "Just you and me."

A devilish thought occurred to the brunette and she quickly went under, not giving Zack time to react. In a flash, a wave of water went up, and her boyfriend was left spluttering. "What the heck!" he cried out through a mouthful of water.

"Gotcha!" Maya laughed, only to be met with a flood of water. "Ah!"

"Heh," Zack said, smirking. "Get a taste of your own medicine – Hey!"

They laughed and continued their mock-fight. Maya proved to be quite agile, sometimes diving down so that Zack's splash missed her, and she shot up and sent a wave of water at him from the other side.

Finally, they were both tired but happy, and climbed out of the pool, grabbing a couple of towels on their way back. Maya went back to her cabin for ten minutes to blow-dry her hair.

An hour later, Maya and Zack were back in the cabin, satisfied. "That was fun."

"It sure was." A sudden thought struck Zack, and he grinned. "Lie down."

"What?"

"C'mon." He led Maya to the bed, still clad in her bikini, and pushed her gently so she was lying prone on the bed, face-down.

"What are you – "

"Close your eyes, Maya-kitten," he said quietly. "Relax."

Maya realized what Zack was going to do and blushed. "I still have my swimsuit on, you know." It was true – her light blue and white bikini was still on. She chose it because she wanted some form of fashion without it being too revealing. The swimsuit didn't show off any unnecessary parts at all. "Zack, you don't have to – "

Zack gently applied more pressure to the area around her neck, rubbing slowly. "Is this okay?" he interrupted, referring to the change in pressure.

"Oh, yeah," she breathed, closing his eyes, unable to help himself.

Zack didn't know what had told him to do it, didn't know why it felt so right to put his hands on her, or why both of them were barely breathing.

Somehow, he thought with a smirk, he could tell she wasn't faring much better. She was slightly shaking, her breathing stilled as she melted under his hands. He ran his hands up her shoulder blades and began kneading her shoulders. The position was strangely intimate.

Zack smiled. "Do you want me to stop?" he whispered, bringing her lips close to his ear. Maya shivered, arching her back.

"No, please," she breathed out. She practically purred as Zack's hands trailed downwards, his hands sliding tentatively, deliberately, under the straps. . .

"Don't. . .try anything funny," she tried to warn.

Zack smiled. "Relax." His lips moved down, mouthing soft kisses against her neck. Maya sighed in appreciation, whispering gently for more.

Zack picked up her hand and pulled on it gently, twisting her around. Once they were facing each other, he took in a moment to study her blushing face – long lashes, caramel eyes, butterscotch-colored wavy hair framing her face. . .

He let go of her fingers, instead using his free hand to cup her cheek. He paused. She smiled in assent, breath hitching.

Guiding her face with his hand, he leaned in and touched his lips to hers fleetingly. Their lips brushed again, once, twice. Shifting closer to her, he moved in to press their lips together more fully. . .And Caleb began to scream.

With a start, they leaped back, and Bailey got up to retrieve Caleb from his crib, blushing furiously and ducking her head. "Oh, Caleb." she sighed. "I guess parenting doesn't leave a whole lot of time for romance. . ."

"Yeah, let's put that in the paper." Zack joked. He put an arm around her and smiled as he felt the soft warmth of her skin. His smile grew even wider when she leaned her head on his shoulder. "Don't worry. We have all the time in the world for romance.

Maya sighed happily, soothing Caleb. "I'm glad."

* * *

"Wah! Wahhhhh!"

Zack frowned as the loud sound of wailing reached his ears, which wasn't a good thing, as he had just stepped into the hallway – and the door to Maya's cabin was closed.

He reached the door and knocked, with Bailey quickly answering. She looked worn out, her hair frazzled. "Zack – thank god," Bailey sighed. "Good luck – I can't take another minute in that room." She hurriedly pulled on a jacket and pushed past him into the hall."

"That's not a good sign," Zack groaned, opening the door fully. Maya was sitting upright on her bed, eyes closed, baby Alex screaming in her arms. How could she possibly be asleep? And sitting up?

He shut the door and walked over to them. Maya didn't stir. "Maya?" No response. Reaching out, her tentatively touched her shoulder. The pressure of his touch upset her balance and she fell backwards across the bed. Zack quickly caught Alex.

Maya's eyes fluttered open. "Zack?" she murmured, getting back up with effort.

"Yeah, it's me," he reassured her, looking at his girlfriend with concern pooling in his eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Hmm, yeah," she replied. "I'm all worn out. After we finished relaxing and you left for your shift, Alex started crying – she's been at it for the full two hours" She sighed dejectedly. " I fed her, changed her, burped her. . .I don't know what's wrong. I guess I just drifted off." She slumped against Zack's shoulder, nestling her face into his arm.

"Uh huh. . ." Zack managed to stammer out, secretly thinking that it was really a good thing she couldn't see how red his face was from her current position. He cleared his throat, his voice coming out at least five pitches higher than usual. "M-maybe she's just cranky," he squeaked, mentally cursing. "Maybe you could sing to her again?"

She sent him a tired smile. "Nope, too sleepy." Even in her exhausted state, Zack recognized the telltale gleam in her eyes.

He grinned. "You want me to sing, don't you."

"Maybe," she said coyly.

"Fine," he said, accepting the situation grudgingly. He started to sing. "Goodnight, my angel, time to close your eyes. . ."

Apparently, Alex liked Billy Joel, for her howling gradually died down. Zack wasn't sure if Maya was a fan or not, but it didn't matter. Five minutes later, both mother and daughter were sound asleep.

Gently, Zack laid her down on the bed and climbed in next to her. His only thought was to stay with her for a couple of minutes, but his eyelids soon grew heavy and he fell asleep next to her.

* * *

"Bailey, towel," Cody called, smiling as Bailey tossed a dark red cloth in his vague direction. "Thanks!"

Of course, being Cody, he completely botched trying to catch it and sighed, bending down and picking it up. He settled Christopher over his shoulder and patted his back, smiling when it made a computerized burping noise. Just then, Chris started to cry again.

Cody frowned as he felt the baby's bottom. "Could you change him, Bailey?"

"Mm-hmm," she said, holding her arms out expectantly. After a while, she finished, kissing him on the forehead. "All better now." She sighed. "I'll sure miss them when the project finishes on Friday."

Cody laughed weakly. "Yeah, I guess. It's fun being a family."

"Oh, stop it, _you_," she laughed.

There was a knock on the door and Cody called, "I'll get it!" Mr. Moseby stood in the doorway, looking around and wearing his perpetual frown. "Cody, by any chance, is Zack – " He stopped when he saw Bailey. "Bailey, it's after curfew, you shouldn't be in here."

Surprised, Bailey's head whipped around to look at the clock, eyes widening when she saw that he was correct. "Sorry, Mr. Moseby! I guess I lost track of time." She hurriedly threw on her diaper bag.

Mr. Moseby sighed. "Do you know where Zack is?"

Cody frowned thoughtfully. He didn't want to offend the man on purpose, but. . ."Is he, I don't know, in his _cabin_?"

"Do you think I haven't thought of that?" Mr. Moseby half-growled, quite irritably. "I just knocked, and there wasn't an answer."

"Oh, then he's asleep," Cody reassured him. "You could run a jackhammer next to Zack's head while he sleeps and not wake him." Bailey frowned, and he smiled. "Believe me, I speak from experience." He shrugged and started going through an open drawer. "You know, I think I have a key to his room."

"Oh, no, Cody, I have a master key," Mr. Moseby said. "It's quite alright."

Cody winced. "Really, Mr. Moseby, I don't mind." Thinking quickly, he pulled the drawer out, watching in mock horror as three textbooks, a huge pile of paper, and a slew of pencils topped to the floor. "Oh, no!"

Mr. Moseby growled in irritation, but nevertheless bent down and started to pick up the mess. "Really, Cody?!"

"Sorry," Cody apologized, looking at Bailey meaningfully and mouthing, _Stall him_. He sighed in relief as she got the hint and nodded.

"I have to go to the bathroom," Cody called loudly, quietly tucking his phone in his pocket.

"Oh, dear," Mr. Moseby sighed as he began to shuffle the papers. "Fine, go, but help out with this mess afterwards!"

"Of course," he said as he closed the bathroom and whipped out his phone, sliding out the keyboard. He started texting Zack.

**_Dear Zack,_**

I'm texting you to inform that Mr. Moseby will be stopping by your cabin shortly. If you're doing anything that you shouldn't be, well, stop. I've bought you a couple of minutes, though, so that should be enough for you.

Cody

He slid the keyboard back in and waited for a couple of seconds before flushing the toilet and washing his hands with soap. Twice, of course.

As for the text, Cody sorely disapproved of the "chatspeak" that graced the phones of all of his classmates. What was wrong with using good, polite language with your classmates? He hated the use of "u" in place of "you" and phrases like "lol" and "brb". Was it too hard to just text "I will be right back?" Using phones and computers instead of a pen and paper was bad enough! He was still shaking his head as he walked out of the bathroom.

Bailey gave him a weird look as he muttered something about "new-fangled technology", and, still tutting in disapproval, he bent down to clean up the mess.

Finally, they finished. Mr. Moseby glared at Bailey. "I don't want to catch you breaking curfew again."

"You won't." Bailey flushed. "I mean. . .I won't. I mean, I will. . .go straight to my room, that is."

"All right." Moseby nodded. "Good night, you two." He closed the door.

"So you think he's out somewhere?" Bailey asked. "Not in his room?"

"Who knows?" Cody said, pulling his phone from inside his pocket. "I just texted him that Moseby was coming."

"How sweet." Bailey teased. "Always looking out for him."

"One of these, I'm going to kill him though," he sighed ruefully.

"Yeah, fat chance," she joked. "What will you do, _bore_ him to death with the history of the Pythagorean Theorem?"

Cody looked insulted. ". . .Tch. _No_."

* * *

"Mm. . ." Maya vaguely registered the faint buzz of a vibrating phone, but she was too comfortable to move. She turned her head slightly, frowning sleepily as her cheek was met with skin. Maya and Zack were lying side by side, pressed against each other, her face nestled into Zack's neck, her lips brushing it.

She finally realized that Zack was in her bed, Alex sleeping peacefully in the other bed with Caleb. Maya didn't know how she got in bed, or why Zack was next to her, but it their closeness wasn't uncomfortable to her. In fact. . .just the opposite. Why did it feel so right?

Craning her neck, she looked up at his face. He looked different when he was asleep. asleep, Quiet, peaceful, breathing evenly. As she looked at him through half-lidded eyes, a faint smile appeared on his face as he inhaled the vanilla scent of her hair.

Maya curled up next to him again, replacing her head next to her shoulder, and she smiled softly, closing her eyes again. her head on his shoulder gently, smiling to herself. Maybe it was the fact that she was still riddled with sleep, but she reached up and kissed him softly on the lips.

Maya shut her eyes, planning on giving in to temptation and exhaustion and just going back to sleep. They would discuss this later. . .

She had almost succumbed to sleep a second time when a faint clicking sound came from the door and it swung open. Moseby stood in the doorway, eyes widening before he scowled darkly as he noted the teenagers' compromising position.

"Zack! Maya!"

* * *

**Well, I can't write a smutty scene (Layla, talking to you XD) on a T-rated fic, so this is the closest I can get.**

**Yeah. . .**

**REVIEW!**


	12. Chapter 12

**I'M SORRY FOR NOT UPLOADING.  
SCHOOL IS A BITCH.  
FML DX**

**Anyways, as you can (probably) tell, I do apologize for not updating - homework's been such a retard.**

**I did hope to get to 100 reviews by Chapter 11, but I guess not. ****_98 REVIEWS! SO CLOSE!_**

**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own The Suite Life on Deck in any way, shape, or form, and I probably never will.**

* * *

"How were Alex and Caleb?" Zack greeted Maya as they both walked into the classroom.

"Fine, thanks," Maya said shyly, ducking her head and not meeting his eyes. "They were okay - had me up a couple times but they went right back to sleep."

Zack nodded slowly, but tilted his head in in confusion, trying to get Maya to look him in the eyes. When she didn't respond, he took one hand and gently tilted her head up. "Is everything okay?" A thought struck him. "Are you mad about what happened?"

Waking up slowly with Maya curled up next to him was the absolute best feeling in the world, no questions asked. It would have been even better if Moseby wasn't hollering in his ear the entire time. "I'm sorry, really, I am. I didn't exactly want to wake you. . .but Moseby did that anyway. . ." He scratched his head sheepishly. "I didn't mean to fall asleep either. . ."

"It's okay, Zack, really," Maya said, smiling and looking up at him – although with a faint blush staining her cheeks. "I. . .really didn't, uh, mind. . ." Her voice trailed off softly.

Zack grinned, infinitely relieved. "You know, I actually kinda liked it. Made us feel like we were a married couple on a honeymoon or something." His grin grew as Maya's eyes widened. "Aw, don't be like that, kitten."

Maya sent him a weak glare and handed him Caleb.

"Class?" Ms. Tutweiller called out, clapping her hands expectantly. "Alright, I have one announcement to make. It seems like having these babies are the cause of many co-ed sleepovers."

"Huh, and here I was thinking that it was the other way around," Zack joked, making the class laugh.

Ms. Tutweiller sent him a professional teacher glare, which Zack ignored. "What I'm _trying _to explain is that I convinced Mr. Moseby to let you off this time, but it shouldn't happen again. Am I clear?"

The class gave a general mutter of assent, which Ms. Tutweiller knew was the best she would get.

"Hey, Maya," Zack whispered, trying to get her attention. When she didn't respond, he frowned and looked over, only to find long locks of silky hair falling across her face, shading her closed eyes. "Maya!" He nudged her with his foot and she shot up.

"They were okay' my left foot," Zack snorted. "Anyways, we have to do the paper today – wanna go to my cabin at, let's say, three?"

"Sounds good," she agreed. "Don't slack off, okay?"

Her words were lost as Zack muttered, "Snacks. . .what snacks should I bring?"

The brunette sighed.

* * *

I brought chips!" Zack sang childishly as he skipped through his cabin door, seeing Maya already furiously typing away at her computer.

"You're late," she said pointedly, glancing swiftly at her watch.

"Sorry, kitten," he murmured, kissing her cheek.

Maya's face turned pink. "Just. . .don't do it again, okay?"

"Will do," he chuckled, dragging a rolling chair next to her and sitting down contentedly, placing a large armful of snacks on the study desk. "How far are you?"

"Not far," she sighed. "You weren't that late – just by 10 minutes."

He looked over her shoulder. "Why does your name go first?"

"I don't know!" she said, exasperated. "Do you _want _yours to go first?"

Zack laughed. "Kidding, kidding." He opened a bag of chips and popped one in his mouth, munching happily. "Want some?"

"No, I – oh, fine," she sighed, relenting as she saw Zack's "puppy face". "Hand me a chip."

He nodded and inspected the paper closely. "Hey, did Tutweiller specify a font size?"

"Yeah, Times New Roman, size 12, single-spaced," she said. "She doesn't want you cheating."

"That's not going to stop me," he said devilishly. He swiped the computer from the hands of his girlfriend and quickly typed in the URL to access Cody's files. "Aha!"

Maya began to stop him, but she realized that there was a password box blocking Cody's archive. "Ha! Guess Cody was smart enough to use a password – "

Zack grinned, typing in "Bailey", but was quickly deterred by the negative sound that the computer emitted and the words "Login failed" on the screen. "Whaa?" He typed it in again, only to be met with the same result.

"Serves you right," Maya sighed, but secretly, she was a little disappointed.

"How about. . .hmm. . .'I love Bailey'," Zack mused, typing in the words, and beaming when he was allowed access. "Oh, Cody, you lovesick little boy."

"You're one to talk," Maya muttered.

"Aww, is my little kitten jealous?" Zack teased, poking a finger at her. "Don't worry."

Maya scoffed, a blush staining her cheeks. "N-no!"

* * *

"That boy has too much free time," Maya admitted ruefully, as she stared at the walls of text lining the Word Document.

"Finally, someone agrees with me," Zack said, his eyes glued to the screen. "Now, to delete the things that are unnecessary. . .Okay, first, he wrote a 12-page long paragraph about how wonderful Bailey was. . .De-_lete._"

Maya's eyes widened as she took in the mushy essay, only spotting the words "exquisite" and "a ray of sunshine". "Wo-ow."

"Yep," he grinned, selecting and deleting various pages. Finally, they got down to a reasonable 9 pages. "What did Ms. Tutweiller say – 2 pages?"

"I think so," she said. "We're down to 9?"

"Uh-huh," he replied absentmindedly, as his hand reached for another chip. Maya's hand came toward it at the same second, and they froze as their hands touched each other.

Zack was the first to react, yanking his hand back quickly. "Uh-um. . .sorry! You co ahead," he stammered.

"N-no, it's alright, you take it," she stuttered back.

"Alright then," both said at the same time, grabbing the chips simultaneously.

They took one look at each other and burst out laughing, but stopped abruptly once the chip fell to the floor.

"Aww," Maya said ruefully. Then, she got a devilish gleam in her eye as she stared at Zack.

"Five-second rule!"

Finally, Maya grabbed the chip and popped it in her mouth. "Alright, back to work."

"Now we really need to paraphrase," Zack sighed. "So what did we learn from the baby?"

Maya frowned thoughtfully. "I guess that you have to be patient with them. It's a work in progress. You have to learn about them in order to find out what they need and like, and that takes time."

"Right," he agreed, and began to type. "Babies need patience."

"Nuh-uh," she said. "We are going to elaborate on this." She reached over and began to type. "The most important aspect of childrearing when being a new parent is establishing a strong, healthy bond with your child."

Zack looked impressed. "Wow."

"Yeah," she chuckled. "Back in New York, we were given short sentences and told to lengthen them as much as we could."

"That is such a handy skill," he whistled. "I also think that teamwork is needed too. It would be hard to handle a child all by yourself."

"That's good," Maya encouraged. She started to type, "In addition". . .

"Hold up," Zack interrupted, taking her hands gently off of the keyboard. "Let me try this whole 'elongating' thing." His fingers moved quickly over the keyboard. "Let's see. . ."

"In addition, cooperation between parents is essential. Working together will allow quicker, more efficient work, thus resulting in a more satisfactory conclusion."

Maya was thoroughly impressed. "Oh, wow. Zack. . .that's not even a lie."

He chuckled. "I have natural talent."

"Along with a substantial amount of humility," Maya groaned.

* * *

"Okay, we're done," Zack exhaled, opening the door for Maya. "Wanna see how the others are doing?"

"In a minute," she called back, rocking Alex back and forth, trying to sooth her. "Alex is in a mood."

"C'mere, Princess," Zack said, walking over.

"Which one?" Maya joked.

"Both," he said softly, taking Alex and bouncing her up and down on his lap. After a while, the mechanical wailing stopped. He took the baby carrier and strapped it on, placing the baby inside it. "Go ahead and take Caleb, okay?"

"No prob," she answered, walking over and shutting the door firmly behind her. "Who do you want to go to first?"

"We're saving Cody for last," he said quickly. "I don't want to walk in on. . .uh, you know."

Maya laughed. "Get your mind out of the gutter."

He assumed an injured look. "How about we go visit Woody and Addison, then?"

"Yeah," she said, walking down the hall and knocking.

"Who is it?" a female voice called.

"Maya and Zack," she chimed in. The doorknob turned and Addison stepped out. "Hey guys!"

"'Sup?" she said, beaming. "We're working on the project right now."

"Yeah, I can. . .see. . .that. . ." Maya started to say, then trailed off when she saw Woody stuffing his face with gummy bears. "Uh. . ."

Zack grinned, sneaking over to Woody and reaching under him. A crinkling of plastic was heard, and Zack swiped a huge bag of gummy bears. "Ha!"

Woody didn't even notice.

Addison giggled. "Ha! Go ahead and take those – we have more anyways."

"You wanna go?" Maya muttered.

"Yep," he agreed in the same tone, and quietly walked out, waving a good-bye to Addison.

Zack motioned for her to stop while he went up to Cody's room, putting a tentative ear next to the door. When he didn't hear any sound, he knocked.

"Who – "

"It's your bro!"

A sigh was heard from the other side, and the door opened to reveal one Cody Martin. "What do you want, Zack?"

"Nothing, nothing!" he grinned. "Just want to tell you that we finished the project and we wanna check on you."

Cody started to splutter comically. "You – you finished – " A realization struck him, and he gasped. "_You stole my paper_! But – you – how – I changed the password – it was supposed to be untraceable – "

"One: Only _partially._ And two: For a guy who was doing Geometry at age 7, you sure are dense."

The two continued to argue, and Maya and Bailey watched the scene unfold, laughing silently.

* * *

**So whaddaya think?**

**And to all my readers out there, I DO have other stories, you know. Check 'em out!**


	13. Ranting

**THIS RANT IS 90% TAKEN FROM Kal Ancalas, AN AWESOME WRITER OF FANFICTION. SO MOST OF THIS RANT DOES NOT BELONG TO ME. I JUST ADDED/SUBTRACTED SHIT.**

Hi.

It's me.

Remember? Max, 12-year-old girl, lazy-ass procrastinator?

ANYWAYS. . .here's an update of sorts because I got a very. . ._interesting_ PM from a. . ._fellow _FF member.

I'm not going to put their name, nor their PM, because I'm too lazy to copy-paste, and I also don't want to make my REAL FF friend's eyes start bleeding by the sheer lack of grammar in their pathetic excuse for a PM.

In a nutshell, he/she was incredibly mad (and displayed it well) because I haven't updated in like 2 weeks or so.

Begin rant now.

I do understand that you people have needs to tend to, but at the same time, I don't exactly have all that much free time on my hands. Don't believe me?

On a normal day, I drag myself out of bed at six, brush my teeth, get dressed, and eat a delicious, nutritious breakfast consisting of an apple slice. Then I waste eight and a half hours of my life at TPWOAKMYFIS: The Place Where Other Asian Kids Make You Feel Incredibly Stupid.

Also known as school.

After which I do another hour and a half of taekwondo and return home to a comfortable shelter with a loving family. . .

"IF YOU DON'T GO DOWNSTAIRS AND PRACTICE YOUR PIANO **THIS INSTANT**, YOU'LL REGRET THIS DAY!"

In case you haven't noticed by now, yes, I am Asian, and I reek of every single Asian stereotype that ever existed. In fact, I think my family probably invented a few of them. And don't laugh when I say that my mother is the Adolf Hitler of piano. I love and respect my parents very much, but when you have a maternal figure that screams her head off every time you get up from the fucking piano bench to get a drink of water or go to the bathroom, that's crossing the line, don't you think? And like many high-school students, my parents have been reading me the "If you don't play piano/other retarded extracurricular activities, you won't get into a good school, blah blah blah" riot act every day. EVERY FUH-REAKING DAY. I understand all of that, but it's still a royal pain in the ass.

Yes, I am good at piano. I finished my CM Level 10 test a couple of years ago and playing stuff like Mozart and Clementi is history to me.

BUT STILL.

"There's always someone better than you."

WELL NO SHIT SHERLOCK.

Personally, I can just picture my admission interview playing on in my head. The way my parents have been going on about it, you'd think it would go something like this:

"Okay, Ms. Maxine Liang, we've looked over your records. Apparently, you have a perfect A+ on all of your AP courses, your record is absolutely clean, and you obtained a perfect score on your SAT's, a feat only achieved by one student out of ten thousand. In addition, you are the captain of your school's tennis team and chess club, the president of the Student Council for five straight years, and you have performed various acts of community service and have been an upstanding member of your community. However, there is one slight problem."

"Yes?"

"We have scoured and cross-checked all your records, and we have unfortunately been able to find no record of you ever having played the piano. We are sorry, but we, at Stereotypical-Ivy-League-Big-Name University cannot accept students with a lack of knowledge of musical study. As a result, your position has been forfeited to a Russian exchange student who has a F average and a 400 on the SAT, but has been able to, however marginally, play the piano."

"B-but I can play the opening theme to Naruto!"

"We don't care about contemporary Japanese pop music. We only care about classical pieces by a bunch of old, dead, white European guys that have a lot of notes and waste their life writing little black dots on pieces of paper - excuse me, _parchment_. Thank you for applying and have a nice day."

Yep.

I explained all of this theoretical conversation to my parents. They were less than amused and rewarded my well thought-out argument with an extra two hours of practice.

Now that I've wasted your time by dedicating a page to piano, I also must devote an hour each every day to "getting a jump-start on Calculus".

Trust me, it's not as glamorous as it sounds when your mother bitch-slaps you for every formula you don't know. And when your father is a PhD with a degree in God knows what, apparently, it stands that you must spend time learning bullshit like derivatives.

And then I ask my parents how this will help me in life, and then they blow off their heads screaming about "DO YOU _WANT _TO WORK AT WAL-MART?"

. . .the fuck, bruh.

See, my parents have this deranged idea that in order to demonstrate that I've truly "mastered" the concept of God-knows-what, I'll have to do EVERY FUCKING PROBLEM IN THE FUCKING BOOK AND ON THE FUCKING INTERNET.

The INTERNET, man.

Yeah - no. I'm not cool with that.

Not to mention that all this doesn't include my usual super-sized order of homework from school every day, which usually results in me getting virtually no sleep.

And, being Asian parents, anything less than an A- results in me being a disgrace to my family and a shame.

FML.

So, returning to the original point before I ended up going on this huge-ass rant, I obviously don't have a lot of time to write. Although I don't want to sound like a jerk (too late), it is slightly disheartening to realize that you still have rabid people out there who want to read the next installment of your story, so you better fire up the computer and start , writing Fanfiction should be a joy and pleasure. It shouldn't be a two-ton ball and chain around your neck.

~Max.


	14. Chapter 13

**OH GAWD I ACTUALLY HAVE A STORY WHO KNEW.**

**Seriously, I haven't REALLY updated in like a month, and I really am sorry. Aw shit, now I'm turning into one of those FF authors who never update. Crap.**

**Still, school is a retarded bitch and updates won't be once a week, but they WILL come more regularly now.**

**I hope.**

**Well, this as a long AN. OOPS. Whatevs.**

**DISCLAIMER: Don't own Suite Life. Blah blah blah.**

* * *

Ms. Tutweiller clapped her hands together and smiled, trying to get the attention of the class. "All right! Today is the day that. . .dun dun dun. . .the baby project ends and you'll be able to get more than two hours of sleep!"

Instead of the overwhelming applause that she expected, she was greeted only with silence. Half of the class looked sad. The other half was asleep. ". . .Class?"

"Ms. Tutweiller, it's not that we're not looking forward to sleep, but we've gotten attached to our babies, and we're going to miss them, and it won't be the same, and I don't want to end the project!" Addison's voice had risen steadily in pitch, tone, and speed until she burst into tears.

The teacher sighed. "I'm sorry, Addison, but I don't have any choice. Now, could you and your partner please bring your baby up?"

Addison cradled Patrick protectively as she laid him down gently on the desk. As the doll came in contact with the wood, its head rolled off.

"I'm going to miss how he does that!" Addison sobbed. Woody patted her back.

Ms. Tutweiller decided not to question it, checking the baby

He handed the baby to Miss Tutweiller, who quickly checked the doll over for damages. Upon turning her upside-down to inspect her back, the doll's head fell off into the cardboard box.

"I'm gonna miss how she does that!" Addison sobbed, leaning against Woody for comfort.

He pulled her into his arms. "It's okay. . .me too. . ."

Ms. Tutweiller eyed them warily, thinking about sending them both to Mr. Blanket for a "counseling session", but then dismissed the idea almost immediately. It wouldn't do to traumatize the two poor kids even more. "Maya and Zack?"

Maya sighed and gave both Caleb and Alex a quick kiss. Zack looked over and hugged them both before handing them to their teacher, who inspected both dolls closely. When Caleb began to scream at the top of his lungs, she gave a small smile. "I see that you two have been taking good care of them," she said happily.

Zack grinned. "Of course."

Ms. Tutweiller quickly took out the batteries and the baby's crying abruptly stopped, before placing them both back into the box. "Bailey and Cody?"

Cody was on the verge of tears as he handed the baby back, and Ms. Tutweiller again considered the Mr. Blanket option.

"Last, London and Marcus," she called out, pretending not to notice Zack hitting his brother and shouting, "Man up, Codes, man up!" London quickly took the baby up tot the desk and handed it to the teacher.

Ms. Tutweiller frowned. "Um. . .London, you may take her clothes off."

London huffed. "Clothes? _Please._ I just dug these from my jacket jet, my shoe submarine, my cap car, my. . ."

"That's enough, London," Ms Tutweiller rushed to tell her, eyeing the pink sparkly clothes warily. She didn't fail to notice the huge diamond earrings hanging from the doll's ears and smiled to herself. "N-never mind, that's okay!"

Maya, meanwhile, turned to Zack. "I'm gonna miss this."

"What, hanging out?" he said, giving her a carefree smile. "We _will _still hang out, you know."

Maya bit her lip, not sure how to phrase what she was trying to say. "Yeah, but we won't be. . ."

"Married?" he offered. Maya nodded meekly.

"Heh, re-_lax_," Zack laughed. "It'll still be like this."

Maya sighed. "Okay."

"Say, speaking of hanging out. . ." Zack grinned. "How 'bout we go to the video game lounge tonight? Play some games, kill some monsters. You up for it?"

Maya grinned. "Oh, _totally_."

* * *

"You ready, Maya?" Zack yelled from his seat on the bed.

"Yeah, yeah," Maya called back, stepping out. She was dressed casually – a classic t-shirt with glow-in-the dark swirls on it and a pair of jeans. Her hair flowed down, cascading down her back.

"Is this the first time you've played _Invasion Force_?" Zack asked as they walked down to the video game lounge.

"Heck no!" Maya replied. "I'm a pro at it."

"Great!" he said enthusiastically. "It's just you, me, and Cody. If you want to, we'll play _Ninja Slayers 2_ afterwards."

"Sure," Maya agreed. "Sounds good to me."

They arrived at the lounge just as Cody appeared in the doorway. "Hey, Maya."

"Sup, Cody?" Maya returned. "You got the controllers?"

"All three of 'em," he answered, passing one to each member and taking one for himself. Cody grabbed the remote control from the stand next to the TV and pressed the _On _button. The screen flickered to life.

Theme music started to play as all three of them settled into comfortable beanbags, calibrating their video controllers.

"As tradition, Zack's commander of our squad, so he gets to picks his character first – sorry, Maya," Cody explained apologetically.

"No problem," she answered, as Zack picked a cool-looking avatar. "There's another character that I always pick."

As she calibrated her video game controller, Maya selected a female character dressed entirely in black and equipped with firearms.

"Nice choice," remarked Cody, as he picked out his own character. "By the way, did you prepare the arsenal for tonight, Zack?"

"Maya and I both did," said Zack, smirking. "You'll find it in the supply shed – fly back to Planet XR-17."

"Gotcha," Cody replied, and selected some commands on the screen. After a few minutes, all three characters were fully ready.

"What mission do you want to take?" Cody asked, addressing everyone.

"We've never tried taking out the Eclipse Force aliens," Zack remembered. "And that mission gives us the most money. You wanna try that one?"

"But no one on the ship has ever beaten it," Cody objected.

"Exactly," his brother answered, grinning. "That's why _we're_ gonna be the first!"

Cody shrugged and turned to Maya. "Are you good at _Invasion Force_?"

"Oh, please!" Maya said indignantly. "I once took out the entire Fujimoto Squad by myself. In challenge mode."

Cody looked impressed. "Sounds fair." He raised his controller and chose the aforementioned mission.

Maya grinned and cracked her knuckles. "Let's go kick some asteroid."

* * *

"How much ammo do you have left?" Maya yelled.

"I'm down to one charge of light – gotta reload," Cody answered urgently. He switched to a grenade and chucked it at an offending alien while trying to get his light gun to recharge.

"I've got plenty," called Zack. "This Shadow Force Sniper is awesome!" He unleashed a hail of bullets.

"Cyborg attack at three o'clock!" Maya suddenly noticed. "Zack, can you cover for me?"

"I got your back!"

Maya's avatar quickly ducked behind a stack of crates, switching to a Pulsar Energy Rifle. She leaped out from behind the boxes and fired a bolt of pure energy from the gun, killing five aliens instantly.

"Cody, throw your bomb!" Zack screamed.

"Smoke bomb or uranium one?" Cody inquired, trying to fend off a particularly nasty-looking alien.

"Anything!" he said urgently, blasting a foe to shreds. "We're being overwhelmed!"

"No, we're not," said a voice behind him. Zack whirled around and found Maya standing there with a determined look in her eyes.

Zack could only think, _God almighty, she's beautiful._

"Follow my lead!" she called out, fire in her eyes. Maya's avatar whipped out the Energy Rifle and a wave of energy obliterated an advancing line of enemies.

"Cody – is your weapon ready?"

"Yep – all reloaded!"

"Zack, what about you?"

"Same here."

"On my mark!" Maya yelled. "Five. . .four. . .oh, you know what, screw it. FIRE!"

At the command, Maya unleashed a blast of neon blue energy, Zack rained a hail of bullets down, and Cody tossed his bomb, then followed by shooting a high-powered beam of light.

The three attacks met, turning into a huge sphere of fiery red destruction. It surged toward the crowd of foes, paused a second, and then crashed down with so much force that Zack swore he felt the game lounge shake.

A ripple of flames spread out from the epicenter, utterly destroying everything in its path. Thousands of aliens were blasted into dust, the remains scattering away into the "wind."

Maya, Zack, and Cody watched in awe as all the enemies disintegrated, leaving a path of obliteration in its wake. When the smoke finally cleared, there was a moment of silence, and then the words _Congratulations – You Won!_ flashed across the screen.

The three teenagers paused for a moment to process the information, and then Zack let out a whoop of joy. "We did it!"

"Awww yeah!" Cody exulted, fist-pumping the air.

Maya just smirked and pointed her game controller at the screen defiantly. "And _that's _why you don't mess with girls."

Cody turned to his friend. "Well, I owe you one, Maya. You were definitely the MVP of the game."

"Wha-that's not what I meant–" Maya stuttered, all her previous bravado gone.

"_Of course_ that's what you meant!" Zack cut her off, throwing an arm around her shoulder.

Maya looked at him and grinned, thinking _oh, what the hey_. "Yeah, okay."

"Look!" he said, pointing a finger at the screen. "We've achieved _Galaxy Supreme_ status!"

"Sweet!" Maya said, offering everyone high-fives.

"Ah, well, gotta crash," Cody said suddenly, looking at the clock on the wall. "It's already eight thirty."

Both Maya and Zack looked at him blankly, half-questioning his sanity, but waving at him nonetheless.

"I wonder about that boy sometimes," Zack said, sighing resignedly. "Eh, well. Let's hit the video game lounge."

". . .We're _in_ the video game lounge."

"Oh. Oh, right. Yes. Definitely. I knew that."

"Sure you did," Maya teased, fishing out the _Ninja Slayers 2_ CD and inserting it into the console.

* * *

And five minutes later, they were firing at ninjas like their virtual lives depended on it.

"I'm out of knives!" called Zack, ducking behind a wall. "Cover for me!"

"Gotcha," Maya replied, controlling her avatar to leap up and unleash a whirlwind of shuriken at a force of opposing ninjas. "But I'm going to have to wait for the cooldown duration."

"It's okay, you bought us some time," Zack assured her, now fully equipped. "You hide behind that truck over there."

Zack leaped out from behind the wall and fought desperately as he struggled to defend himself against a new onslaught of ninjas. Once they got too close, he switched to a sword and started slashing, moves becoming increasingly frantic.

"Come on, reload!" Maya said, urging the screen.

Zack finally killed the last enemy and turned to her, grinning. Maya was just about to return the smile before she saw a rogue ninja jump out.

A warning cry just reached her lips before Zack's avatar was hit by a well-aimed throwing star, dropping to its knees and winking out of existence.

Zack smiled at her sheepishly. "Didn't see that coming. But it's okay, my sacrifice gave you some extra HP. You'll be okay."

"You didn't have to do that!" Maya said, feeling guilty.

"Don't worry," he answered. "Besides," he added in a softer tone. "I would always do it for you."

Maya's eyes widened at the statement, but her reflexes took over as she instinctively struck out at another ninja, and then another one.

"Nice job," Zack called out. "I think all of the ninjas are gone. Hurry and get back to our base – we're under a time limit, you know!"

Maya looked up at the top left corner of the screen, eyes widening in shock as she saw the timer ticking down. "I forgot where it is!" she confessed.

"It's okay," Zack said, reassuring her. "Go behind that stack of crates and go left."

Unfortunately, he had placed his hand on her shoulder and his lips were right next to her ear, distracting her.

"Your other left."

Maya blushed hotly. "Oops," she confessed. She hoped that Zack didn't find out what made her make the mistake. He would be insufferable.

Luckily for her, he didn't seem to notic.

"There it is!" Zack yelled, motioning toward a bright red sphere of light. "That's the base! You've got five seconds, Maya – hurry!"

"Not helping!" she yelled back, trying to make her character move faster. As the timer flashed the number 1 on red, she made a final stride and touched the base.

A red glow rose around her, and then exploded in light. Maya and Zack held their breath.

And the words _You won with 0.36 seconds to spare!_ flashed on. Virtual confetti showered the screen.

"Yes!" Maya said, exulting and shaking out her hands. "Talk about high pressure."

Zack crossed over to her and hugged her tightly, surprising Maya, but then she slipped her arms around his back and hugged him back.

"Nice job," he murmured, breathing in the scent of her hair.

He released the hug but didn't let her go, smoothing back her hair. "Maya, you are wonderful."

Maya was about to reply with _I know_, but she saw that he was serious, so she decided to change her reply. "What makes you say that?" she replied softly, drowning in his eyes.

"You're my girlfriend," he answered, giving her one of his trademark grins.

"Well, thanks," Maya said, laughing softly.

"And guess what?" he continued. "Prom night's next week. And it's guys ask girls."

"Okay," she said, not really seeing where this was going.

"I'm a guy," he said. "And you're a girl."

Maya gasped. "No way! You found out?"

"Oh, shut up," he teased, earning a playful smile from both of them.

"Continue," she prompted, crossing her arms.

Zack gently uncrossed them, earning a squeak of surprise from her, and took her hand gently. "Will you go to prom with me?" he invited, flashing her a hopeful smile that Maya found adorable.

Maya paused for a minute, then smiled softly. "Of course I will."

"And we can slow dance," he ventured.

"Yes."

"And after that, we can have dinner together."

"Yes."

"And after that, we can go up to my room and have some really hot, steamy, s-"

"_Zachary Martin!_"

"Soup! I was gonna say soup!"

* * *

**Welp, a little dirty joke at the end :)**

**Yes, I'm a jerk for that incredibly rude rant (hey, I needed SOME way t get it out of my system), but PLZ reviews? :3**

**BTW, I'm playing MapleStory now, so. . .um. . .dunno how that's relevant. . .but. . .ya. MAPLESTORY IS AWESOME. My username is MaxLiang99, I'm a level 25 Mechanic, and I'm in the world of Nova. Just thought I'd let you know. o.o**


	15. Chapter 14

**. . .Okay, I can honestly say that this is most definitely NOT the best story I have written. . .no seriously. *hangs head in shame***

**I'm not real proud of this chapter, but OH WELL, it's filler, and filler is needed occasionally. You know, probably.**

**Also, FanFiction is being a bitch with formatting, so sorry if it's all screwy-uppy. (I dunno).**

**I don't own and stuff.**

* * *

"Cody and Bailey, you're in charge of the balloons for prom," Zack instructed. "And please, brother dear, don't make 3D molecules with them like you did in sixth grade."

"Yes, sir," Cody said, rolling his eyes. "No 3D molecules." His eyes suddenly lit up. "But you have to admit, that oxygen model I made was really-"

"Woody and Addison, you'll be handling utensils!" Zack interrupted, abruptly cutting Cody off.

"Whazzat?" Woody said, confused.

"Forks, knives, spoons, et cetera," Cody answered, sighing.

"Spoons? I _love_ spoons!" Addison said excitedly. "I-love-how-spoons-make-that-really-pretty-tinklin g-noise-when-you-tap-them-on-glass-and-I-also-real ly-love-the-fact-that-you-can-use-them-to-launch-m elon-balls-and-oh-I-remember-this-one-time-in-four th-grade-"

"I gave her a piece of butterscotch candy this morning," Woody admitted sheepishly.

"That explains it."

"London, you're going to be putting up the party streamers," Zack ordered, trying to restore order by raising his voice.

"Yay! I'm gonna call Daddy and tell him to send us some sparkly pink silk streamers right now!" London cheered, whipping out her hot pink phone. "Wait. What's Daddy's number?"

Zack chuckled and pulled out a slip of paper with a number written on it. "Here you go, London."

"Thanks, Cody!" she said, hugging Zack.

"Wow. She still gets us mixed up," Cody reflected. "By the way, how did you get Mr. Tipton's number?"

Zack grinned. "Let's just say that I snuck into Moseby's cabin a couple weeks ago."

"Spare me the details," Cody groaned, stepping away.

"And Maya," Zack continued, flashing a hundred-watt smile for his girlfriend. "You're in charge of food."

"What?" Cody exclaimed. "If anything, I should be in charge of food. I'm the best chef on this ship."

"You wanna bet?" Maya said, grinning.

Cody laughed. "I accept your challenge."

"Great," Maya replied. "Down to the kitchen. Now."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Zack interrupted, holding up his hands. "You guys can have your competition later, but I'm not changing any plans now."

"What?" Cody said, shocked. "That's not fair!"

"Look, Cody," Zack said, walking up close to him. "These plans are final."

"Name one reason why," he retorted, crossing his arms.

"Because she's my girlfriend and I'm in charge," Zack replied confidently, crossing his arms as well.

Cody opened his mouth to say something, but then decidedly changed his mind and shut it again. "Okay, whatevs."

"Ha!" Zack exulted.

"Shut up."

* * *

Ms. Tutweiller ushered all the students into her classroom, but everyone was in an exceptionally good mood. After all, it was prom night.

"Today, we will be learning about how a food particle travels through a cell," she said, pulling down a screen with a cell diagram on it.

Everyone, including London, took out their notebooks and started writing. As Ms. Tutweiller spoke about how different foods yielded different nutrition for the cell, Woody spoke up. "What about human meat?"

Maya suddenly slammed her hand down on the desk. "That is called _cannibalism_, by the way, and is in fact frowned upon in _many _countries-"

She didn't get to finish her statement as the whole class exploded into laughter, Woody joining in.

Ms. Tutweiller dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. "Thank you, Maya, for explaining," she said. "Woody, she is, in fact, correct."

Woody grinned and went back to writing in his notebook. "Hey, Maya, how much have you written?"

Maya turned around in her seat and displayed her silver-and-blue covered notebook to her friend, and Woody nearly fainted. Five pages of impossibly neat writing.

His mouth opened and closed like a fish before finally saying, "Is that, like, _calligraphy_?"

She laughed. "No, it's just my regular writing."

Woody gave her an incredulous look and showed her his torn notebook filled with chicken scratches.

Maya whistled. "You know what, I'll just refrain from saying anything."

Woody plastered a look of hurt on his face, earning a light laugh from both of them, before looking at Bailey in the seat in front of them.

She had her hand raised, but not in the way you would expect. Her eyes were wild and her arm looked like it was going to pop out of its socket. She was wiggling her fingers frantically, silently mouthing the words _Pick me_!"

"Ms. Tutweiller?" Maya spoke up. "I think Bailey's going to wet her pants."

This brought on another fresh wave of laughter from the class. Zack had tears streaming down his face as he fell off his chair, still laughing. Addison had doubled up and had her face to the wall. Even Cody was clutching his stomach and laughing despite the warning glares from his girlfriend.

Bailey shot Maya a glare, to which she returned with a smirk. Zack managed to turn around and offer Maya a fist-bump, to which she accepted.

"Yes, Bailey?" Ms. Tutweiller said, attempting to smother her laughter.

"The Golgi apparatus."

"No."

"Oh, _burned_!" Zack yelled, the class collapsing into another fit of laughter.

Afterwards, Ms. Tutweiller handed out the biology tests. "Zack, how do you make so many stupid mistakes in one day?"

"I get up early," he said, smirking.

Ms. Tutweiller gave an exasperated sigh, but secretly, she thought it was funny, until she noticed something. "Are you chewing gum?"

"No, I'm Zack Martin," he replied, letting out a chuckle.

She shook her head slightly. "Didn't you promise to behave?"

"Yes."

"And didn't I promise to punish you if you didn't?"

"Yeah, but if I don't keep my promises, there's no reason why you should keep yours."

Now, Ms. Tutweiller had to refrain from smacking him. "I give up." She walked over to Woody's desk, expecting to see his homework.

"Ms. Tutweiller, would you take points off for something I didn't do?" Woody asked, putting on his best puppy face.

"Why, of course not," she answered, not seeing where this was going.

"Oh, phew, 'cause I didn't do my homework."

Ms. Tutweiller turned to face Zack. "How did I fall for that one?"

"Yeah, I'm wondering about that too," Zack said, frowning. "It's the oldest trick in the book."

"Must be getting old," London interjected, pausing from painting her nails.

"These kids will be the death of me someday," Ms. Tutweiller groaned.

"Thank you," said Zack, mock-bowing. "We try."

Ms. Tutweiller managed to keep a hold on her sanity as the kids pestered her through Social Studies, Language, Math, and English classes, but she had to admit that she didn't mind as much as she usually would.

The bell rang at the end of the school day, its chime echoing off the walls. With a start, the whole class grabbed their bags and rushed out the door. For once, Ms. Tutweiller didn't mind – she knew that the kids were preparing for prom.

The teacher packed up her teaching supplies quickly and followed the students out the door. She had to go get a manicure – London had made some very. . .honest comments about it.

* * *

**IMPORTANT!**

**I ****_do _****have a FictionPress account - u/891693/WingedKuraiOkami. So please check out my (one) story and review it just like you do on FF! You rock!**

**Also, another IMPORTANT note. . .I'm digging thru my old files and I've found LITERALLY around 13 stories that I've started 1 or two chapters of. AND THEY'RE NOT ACTUALLY HALF BAD.**

**So should I publish them (and probably get around to finishing them 20 years later)? Or not?**

**It's your call, so leave it in a review/PM!**


	16. Chapter 15

**I just realized I haven't updated in nearly a month. WAAAH. Sorry, guys! Seriously, thanks for ALL of the awesome reviews. 136! Woow! I never knew I'd get this many!**

**. . .**

**And since I'm so greedy, Imma ask for more.**

**I honestly hoped that this entire story - once I've finished it, of course - would get 50 reviews, if I was incredibly lucky. Thank you ALL so much and keep it up!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, blah blah blah**

* * *

Zack looked at himself in the mirror one more time, absentmindedly straightening his tie. Yes, that's right – Zack Martin was wearing a tie. He also donned a black suit and dress pants to complement it.

He gave a nervous sigh, reaching from the comb (borrowed from Cody, of course) on the dresser and giving his blond hair another couple quick brushes. He hoped the hair gel he used would help his hair stay down.

As he put on some cologne and shined his shoes one last time, his thoughts drifted toward Maya, though they hadn't strayed far from her the entire day. Zack started dreaming about how exceptionally beautiful his girlfriend would look.

_Maya will soon be slow dancing with me. . ._  
The very thought of it made him lightheaded with excitement. He straightened his tie yet again and stepped out the door.

* * *

Maya fingered her dress nervously. It was a floor-length, light green gown that was incredibly comfortable and not revealing in any way, yet still complimenting her slim, beautiful figure nicely.

She smiled inwardly as she checked her hair in the mirror. It was tied into a wavy ponytail, with two stray curls of caramel-colored hair brushing the side of her face. Maya also happened to be wearing the necklace that Zack had gifted her.

"Oh my god, Maya, you look gorgeous!" Bailey gushed, wearing a long red dress.

"You're fabulous!" Addison squealed, and Maya complimented her on her pretty sunshine-yellow gown.

"Thanks guys," Maya said happily. "Bailey, you go find Cody, and Addison, you go find Woody! I'll meet you there."

"Go and make Zack faint," Bailey said devilishly, winking at her. Maya rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless, walking over to the cabin.

She knocked on the door slowly, and immediately, Zack opened it.

"How's my pretty girlfriend?" he chuckled, and Maya blushed. Zack looked . . . well, hot, to put it bluntly.

"C'mon, let's go to prom," he continued, offering his arm in a gentlemanly way. Maya giggled in a girly way and took it, walking with him to prom.

They met up with Addison and Bailey along the way, with the former girl chatting away about pretty dresses and necklaces.

The prom, to put it simply, was amazing, courtesy of London and Marcus's abundant wealth of money. Silk streamers and balloons were everywhere. There wasn't a band present because London wanted to hire the My Little Pony music composers. However, to mitigate this problem, Maya had put her iPod playlist on shuffle and gave it generously to use for just one night at the prom.

For basically the first half, it was all fun and games – no romantic, slow dances involved. Bailey snuck up behind Cody and popped a balloon in his face, laughing hysterically when he screamed like a little girl and complained, "You _know _I have sensitive eardrums!"

And she shut him up by kissing him forcefully in front of the entire grade.

Cody was beet red when his Kettlecorn girlfriend finally pulled away, and for once, he was absolutely, undeniably speechless.

"Th-that was – " he spluttered incoherently.

"Aw, c'mon, Codes!" Zack yelled. "Pretty girl kisses you and that's your reaction?! No wonder you can't get laid – "

And to shut _him _up, Maya kissed him.

Zack's head was floating in clouds and he was ecstatically dizzy by the time she pulled away. "Woooow," he said dreamily, blue eyes unfocused.

"Hey, lovebird!" Bailey yelled, punching him. "Snap out of it."

Zack recovered quickly, offering Maya a bright smile before saying, "Tell that to your own boyfriend, Miss Farm Girl." His statement was strangely accurate – Cody was still a mess over by the corner. Apparently, kisses had a big effect on him.

Finally, the DJ – who happened to be Mr. Moseby – announced, "Grab a boy or a girl next to you and sweep them off their feet! Heeeeeeere comes a slow dance!"

A beautiful song began to float out of the speakers and Zack gave Maya a smile – not his usual cheeky grin, but a smile that made Maya nearly faint. "Care to dance?"

"Y-yeah, okay, sure!" she squeaked breathlessly as Zack took her hand.

They started dancing, Maya's hands locked around Zack's neck and his hands on her hips.

"So let's talk," he chuckled affectionately, watching with mirth as Maya blushed scarlet.

"About what?" she murmured softly.

"Memories," he said off-handedly. "Hey, remember when I first hit on you?"

"How could I forget?" she said, laughing softly.

"Aww, don't deny it, Maya-kitten," he said, grinning. "You were adorable while listing off smoothie drinks."

"Whatever," she denied quickly, but then thought better of it and added, "In your defense though, I've never seen any guy look that good in knee socks and an apron."

"Why, thank you!" he said, tossing his hair back flirtatiously. "Oh, and remember? Later that day, I tried again and you said that your dream was dancing with a giant rabbit while Lady Gaga played the spoons."

"That was just to throw you off!" she replied, pretending to be indignant.

"Yeah, sure, whatever you say," he sing-songed, avoiding her gaze. "And remember the submarine?"

Maya stayed quiet for a moment, and Zack was about to think that she didn't hear him when she offered him a smile. "Kraken!"

"Kraken!" he replied increduously, and they both shared a laugh.

After a moment, Zack cleared his throat awkwardly. "You know it _is _pronounced 'kraken', right?"

"What? No, I told you already, it's kraken!" she shot back.

"Kraken."

"Kraken."

"Kraken."

"Krak – mmph!"

Zack had kissed her again. Maya was hesitant, but then melted into the kiss, listening to the lilting music filter through her ears and the gentle rocking of Zack swaying back and forth . . .

"Mm," Zack sighed. "I love you, Maya."

"I l – " Maya began, but then her eyes widened. "Whoa whoa whoa!"

Zack blinked. "What?"

"Did you just say - ?" she queried, and Zack seemed to realize.

"Ah!" he quickly denied trying to correct himself! "S-sorry! It was just – um, the heat of the moment, and I was caught up in the dancing, and it just sort of slipped out –

"Shh," Maya said gently, placing a finger on his lips and smiling softly. "You talk too much."

"Wha?" he said eloquently.

"I love you too, Zack."

Needless to say, that was the best night ever – no soup involved.

* * *

**Remember the soup joke in the last chapter? :3**

**. . . no?**

**Aww.**

**Yes, I know, short chappie - REALLY short, the more I look at it - and I can't say that I'm real proud of it, but please leave a review! Pweez?**


	17. Vacation AN

**Hey dere, your faithful (kinda-sorta-maybe-lolnope) author here, with a note.**

**Yeah, I'm sorry, this isn't a chapter. Oops.**

**My point is . . . I'm leaving on vacation. School has ended, finals are over (THANK GAWD) and I will be leaving for Europe on June 8, and I will be coming back at the end of July.**

**Which means no story updates until AT LEAST August.  
Please don't kill me!**

**So, yeah. I'm not allowed to bring a computer to Europe, but if it comes to the worst, then I will have to end up HAND-WRITING my next chapters of the stories that I'm planning and copying them to my computer.**

**I know, it's a sad world.**

**Like I said, I'll try to get some plot bunnies, no matter how stupid, while I'm in Europe, but no computer, so no updates. Feel free to mentally decapitate me, burn me alive, disembowel me, or any other cheerful things that run around in your innocent little minds.**

**(Seriously tho.)**

**PEACE~**

**~Max**


End file.
